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Architectural Details

Brooksian architectures are also known as subsumption architectures. It is a parallel and distributed computation formalism for connecting sensors to actuators in robots. One writes a subsumption program by specifying layers of networks of augmented finite state machines. These FSMs are augmented by timers which can be set to initiate a state change.

The goal of these creatures is to be able to exist in a dynamic, unpredictable, people-populated world. Brooks believes that all potential agents should be tested thoroughly in the real world. The agents typically use imprecise sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and low resolution cameras and employ unreliable routines (see Seymour).

Another goal was to develop small, cheap, low-power agents. This goal is a consequence of his philosophy.



Brooksian Agents