Robots Producing Their Own Hierarchies with DOSA; The Dependency-Oriented Structure Architect

Abstract

Hierarchical Control Structures are employed in a variety of robots. However, the choice of hierarchy to use affects the ability to control the environment. If a robot could help define the required control hierarchy, this would help avoid the engineer picking an invalid hierarchy and secure effective control. This paper proposes a methodology named DOSA (Dependency Oriented Structuring Architect) which allows a robot to define their own control hierarchy from experience. DOSA brings consistency to hierarchical control, using a clear understanding of hierarchies to encapsulate the heuristic approach an engineer uses and automate a process that requires specialised expertise.