This lab exercise provides an introduction to behavior based robotics. Behavior based robotics is a style of robotics that emphasizes the interaction between the robot and its environment. In contrast to "top down" approaches, behavior based architectures typically have no centralized controller. Instead, many behaviors operate independently at the same time. Coordination is achieved through architectures that control which behaviors get priority based on the state of the robot. Because there is typically no centralized planning system in a behavior based approach, robots programmed in this style are able to react immediately to changes in their environment. As a result, behavior based robotics has proven to be very useful in robotic applications where the world is complicated and dynamic. In this lab, the behavior based approach is applied to a hospital robot.
This lab focuses on the design of a subsumption architecture. The subsumption architecture is a famous behavior based robotics approach developed by Rodney Brooks. In a subsumption architecture, many behaviors operate in parallel, competing for control over the motor system of the robot. A set of rules specify which behavior gains control based at any given moment. The task in this lab is to design an appropriate set of rules for a hospital robot to deliver supplies to a patient's room.