A model and language design for man/machine communication in computer aided manipulation

A hierarchical model based on the concept of procedural nets was developed to represent the planning process of manipulator action. The model was adapted to represent the man/machine communication process as a step in this planning process. Where the human operator develops the global task given to him into a plan--a sequence of subtasks-- at some intermediate level of details which he communicates to the computer. The computer develops the plan further to the level of detail necessary for controlling the manipulator and proceeds to monitor the plan execution via position and force-sensor feedback. The language developed from this model is hierarchical, flexible, task-oriented and allows close cooperation between man and machine with a mixed initiative protocol of control allocation. The language is used in experiments which test principles of man/machine communication language design.