Hierarchically structured multisensor system for an intelligent mobile robot

Summary This paper presents an approach to designing an intelligent, multisensor mobile robot system, capable of performing various tasks for the physically disabled. Special attention to the unique design considerations for intelligent robots is reflected in a hierarchically structured hardware and software design, which may be pictured as a “skill pyramid”. With basic motor and sensory skills at the bottom, the skill pyramid grows upward with increasing skill levels. At the highest level (task level), natural-language-like commands are processed and translated into motor and sensory actions. Finally, task-level performance is discussed with the help of an example.