Mobile robot operation with multi-hierarchies

Abstract

In this chapter we study the benefits of using a multi-hierarchical symbolic model of the environment in robotic applications. As presented in Chap. 3, a hierarchy, that is, a sequence of graphs and abstractions of graphs, can improve efficiency in certain robot operations like task planning. In [50] it has been stated how these benefits are also present in other tasks, like routing. Here we follow the same inspiration and endow a mobile robot with different hierarchies upon a common ground level (obtaining a multi-hierarchical model) in order to improve not only task-planning, but also other operations, such as localization and user communication, simultaneously. Such a model may imply the necessity of translating symbols from one hierarchy to another, especially to the one used for human communication. This chapter also proposes a mechanism that copes with that translation. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.