A generic robot architecture

The Advanced Robotics Functional Architecture (ARFA) developed by the UK National Advanced Robotics Research Centre is described. It is discussed in relation to the Brooksian behavioural robotics architecture and the NASA Standard Reference Model for Telerobots (NASREM). ARFA has an underlying 3 level hierarchy. The strategic level performs task level planning; the tactical layer performs action level planning; and the executive layer ensures the actuator performance closely matches the demand of the tactical layer. The top level of the ARFA consists of four module types; input systems, central planning system, the output system and the man-machine interface