Robust task execution through experience-based guidance for cognitive robots

Abstract

Robustness in task execution requires tight integration of continual planning, monitoring, reasoning and learning processes. In this paper, we investigate how robustness can be ensured by learning from experience. Our approach is based on a learning guided planning process for a robot that gains its experience from action execution failures through lifelong experiential learning. Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) is used as the learning method to frame hypotheses for failure situations. It provides first-order logic representation of the robot's experience. The robot uses this experience to construct heuristics to guide its future decisions. The performance of the learning guided planning process is analyzed on our Pioneer 3-AT robot. The results reveal that the hypotheses framed for failure cases are sound and ensure safety and robustness in future tasks of the robot.