Construction of heterogeneous multi-robot system based on knowledge model

This paper proposed a knowledge model-based method to construct a heterogeneous multi-robot system that can be regarded as a primitive prototype of a future symbiotic autonomous human-robot system. In this method, with using frame-based knowledge model, the features of heterogeneous robots as well as their behaviors according to human requests are described. The required knowledge for heterogeneous multi-robot system can be therefore integrated in a single model and shared by robots and users. Based on the knowledge model, the heterogeneous multi-robot system is defined in the software platform for agents and knowledge management (SPAK) by use of XML format. With the use of SPAK, distributed intelligent agents, tele-operation via wireless network and local robot control programs, the activities of heterogeneous multi-robot system can be flexibly carried out. In the heterogeneous multi-robot system, not only various heterogeneous robots and techniques for robots are integrated, but also human-robot interaction can be automatically performed and robot behaviors can be planned by taking into account different intelligence of robots corresponding to human requests. In this paper, an actual heterogeneous multi-robot system comprised by humanoid robots (Robovie, PINO), mobile robot (Scout) and entertainment robot dog (AIBO) is constructed in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method