Animal robotics-from self-sufficiency to autonomy

This paper draws a panorama of what an animal robot needs in order to be self sufficient. It explains how the introduction of motivations and cognition capabilities in the behavioural control system of the robot can allow it to move from self-sufficiency (a stable state) to autonomy (the freedom too switch from one behaviour to another one). At last, it addresses the problem of studying agents cooperation and its implications in the robot control system.