Knowledge-based real-time machines interaction

The authors describe the need for robotic machine interaction and discuss their recent and ongoing research projects in two main areas: multirobot systems, and interactive robotic devices (IRD) for handicapped persons. In both areas they have found the knowledge-based interaction increases significantly the flexibility, reliability, and responsiveness of the system. A number of decision-support modeling approaches for intermodule communication, distributed control, and distributed decision-making for concurrent and cooperative machine activities are described. They are currently being investigated for their usefulness in answering the research problems