Agent in a box: A framework for autonomous mobile robots with beliefs, desires, and intentions

Abstract

This paper provides the Agent in a Box for developing autonomous mobile robots using Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) agents. This framework provides the means of connecting the agent reasoning system to the environment, using the Robot Operating System (ROS), in a way that is flexible to a variety of application domains which use different sensors and actuators. It also provides the needed customisation to the agent’s reasoner for ensuring that the agent’s behaviours are properly prioritised. Behaviours which are common to all mobile robots, such as for navigation and resource management, are provided. This allows developers for specific application domains to focus on domain-specific code. Agents implemented using this approach are rational, mission capable, safety conscious, fuel autonomous, and understandable. This method was used for demonstrating the capability of BDI agents to control robots for a variety of application domains. These included simple grid environments, a simulated autonomous car, and a prototype mail delivery robot. From these case studies, the approach was demonstrated as capable of controlling the robots in the application domains. It also reduced the development burden needed for applying the approach to a specific robot.