Balancing deliberation and reaction, planning and execution for space robotic applications

Abstract

Intelligent behavior for robotic agents requires a careful balance of fast reactions and deliberate consideration of long-term ramifications. The need for this balance is particularly acute in space applications, where hostile environments demand fast reactions, and remote locations dictate careful management of consumables that cannot be replenished. However, fast reactions typically require procedural representations with limited scope and handling long-term considerations in a general fashion is often computationally expensive. We describe three major areas for autonomous systems for space exploration: free-flying spacecraft, planetary rovers, and ground communications stations. In each of these broad applications areas, we identify operational considerations requiring rapid response and considerations of long-term ramifications. We describe these issues in the context of ongoing efforts to deploy autonomous systems using planning and task execution systems.