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Capabilities

Planning

Homer generates temporal plans to accomplish tasks given by the user. Planning is performed by the PLANNER/REASONER. Homer's planning takes into account the time Homer predicts will be necessary to accomplish the given task. Plans can be modified if circumstances at the time of plan execution will allow for a more efficient means of fulfilling the task or if circumstances demand a new approach. The latter situation can result from changes to the environment (prior to or at execution time) brought about by other plans or external events.

Reactivity

Homer supports a limited level of reactivity. The architecture provides two means for reacting to changes in the world. The first is replanning. If the state of the world does not coincide with that used in Homer's planning, and the changes effect knowledge essential to the plan, the PLANNER/REASONER will attempt to generate a new plan to accomplish the task. The second means is obstacle avoidance. When the agent encounters an obstacle in its path, it calculates and follows a path around the obstacle then recomputes a path from its new location to the original destination.

Taskability

Homer is highly taskable. The agent attempts to carry out all tasks it is given. At any time that the program is runnning, the user can give Homer new tasks.

Natural Language Processing

Homer is capable of both interpretting and generating natural language text. All communication with users is through English text. Homer's vocabulary is intended to encompass approximately 1900 words.

The TEXT INTERPRETER takes sentences as input then stores information from the sentences in the episodic memory. Sentences can be commands, questions, or statements of fact.

The TEXT GENERATOR constructs sentences to convey several different kinds of information. First, HOMER informs the user of his current actions and completed tasks. Second, he acknowledges all user commands and statements of fact. Third, Homer informs the user of realizations he has come to through reflection. Homer's use of language is very passive. The TEXT GENERATOR does not relay information about Homer's knowledege or his surroundings unless the user asks specific questions.

Navigation/Manipulation

Homer can plot paths and swim to locations in his simulated world. He can also pick up, carry, and drop objects he encounters.

Coherent Behavior

The agent exhibits coherent behavior. It's actions are all aimed towards fulfilling tasks given by the user.

Perception

Homer has a simulated perception system. The agent can perceive objects within its line of sight in the simulated world. His field of view has a radius of 150 feet and spans 120 degrees. Objects in Homer's line of sight can obscure other objects that would otherwise be seen.

Perception in Homer amounts to merely an added constraint on his knowledge of the environment to enhance realism. When an object enters the agent's range of perception, information about the objects observable parameters is fed directly into the EPISODIC MEMORY . The agent could just as easily be made "capable" of knowing all the parameters of every object in his world.