Legolog : Inexpensive Experiments in Cognitive Robotics

Researchers and instructors of Cognitive Robotics have long lamented the lack of affordable hardware platforms upon which to demonstrate their art. Even with the advent of more recent mobile robotic platforms that have begun to bring prices within reach, the amount of low-level programming that needs to be performed means that significant time must be spent before work can begin on the problems upon which they would like to focus. Recently LEGO R introduced the MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System—a construction kit equipped with a programmable microprocessor that can accept inputs and control outputs. Together with the vast number of original LEGO R pieces it is now possible to construct all manner of controllable robotic devices. In this paper we describe our implementation of Legolog; a system that uses a controller from the Golog family of planners to control a MINDSTORMS robot. Legolog is capable of dealing with primitive actions, exogenous actions and sensing. Moreover, the Golog controller is easily replaced with an alternate planner. In this way, our aim is to demonstrate that practical cognitive robotics is already within reach, and to provide a (Prolog-based) system for cognitive robotics practitioners to use.