Touring Machines: autonomous agents with attitudes

Author

Ferguson, Innes A.

Author_Institution

Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Ont., Canada

Volume

25

Issue

5

fYear

1992

fDate

5/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

51

Lastpage

55

Abstract

A multilayered integrated architecture for controlling autonomous mobile agents, or Touring Machines, is introduced. This architecture combines capabilities for producing a range of reactive and deliberative behaviors in dynamic, unpredictable domains. The approach is influenced by recent work on reactive and behavior-based agent architectures. Touring Machines blend sophisticated and simplified control features. Experience shows that this layered architecture can be configured to behave with robustness and flexibility simultaneously in dynamic settings. The implementation of the control architecture on a testbed is reported.<>

Keywords

computer architecture; computerised control; knowledge based systems; mobile robots; Touring Machines; autonomous mobile agents; behavior-based agent architectures; control architecture; deliberative behaviors; dynamic settings; flexibility; layered architecture; multilayered integrated architecture; robustness; simplified control features; testbed; unpredictable domains; Automatic control; Autonomous agents; Centralized control; Intelligent agent; Intelligent robots; Power generation; Processor scheduling; Production facilities; Robustness; Space stations;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Computer

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9162

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/2.144395

Filename

144395