Use of scripts for coordinating perception and action

Abstract

This paper proposes scripts as a framework for coordinating and controlling a collection of behaviors needed to perform a highly stereotyped task. Scripts facilitate planning by explicitly representing the types of situations the behaviors are suited for, and the default schedule or plan of activities. They support building abstract behaviors from libraries of primitive independent behaviors by providing the meta-knowledge needed to smooth over minor incompatibilities. Scripts enable robust execution, allowing subscripts to be attached for reacting to anomalous conditions. The utility of scripts is demonstrated via a case study of topological navigation. In this case study, scripts provided the foundation for the abstract navigation behaviors used by a mobile robot to travel through indoor office spaces.