Action Selection and Execution in Everyday Activities: A Cognitive Robotics and Situation Model Perspective. (30th August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vernon, David; Albert, Josefine; Beetz, Michael; Chiou, Shiau‐Chuen; Ritter, Helge; Schneider, Werner X.
• Is Part Of: Topics in cognitive science. Volume 14:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 344
• Page End: 362
• Publication Date: 2021-08-30
• Subjects: Cognitive architecture -- Cognitive robotics -- Everyday activity -- Situation model; Cognitive science -- Periodicals; Cognitive Science -- Periodicals; 153.05
• DOI: 10.1111/tops.12569
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1756-8757

Abstract

Abstract: We examine the mechanisms required to handle everyday activities from the standpoint of cognitive robotics, distinguishing activities on the basis of complexity and transparency. Task complexity (simple or complex) reflects the intrinsic nature of a task, while task transparency (easy or difficult) reflects an agent's ability to identify a solution strategy in a given task. We show how the CRAM cognitive architecture allows a robot to carry out simple and complex activities such as laying a table for a meal and loading a dishwasher afterward. It achieves this by using generalized action plans that exploit reasoning with modular, composable knowledge chunks representing general knowledge to transform underdetermined everyday action requests into motion plans that successfully accomplish the required task. Noting that CRAM does not yet have the ability to deal with difficult activities, we leverage insights from the situation model perspective on the cognitive mechanisms underlying flexible context‐sensitive behavior with a view to extending CRAM to overcome this deficit. Abstract : We show how the CRAM cognitive architecture allows a robot to carry out simple everyday activities and show how it can be extended by leveraging insights from the situation model perspective on the cognitive mechanisms underlying flexible context‐sensitive behavior.