Decision Analysis for an Experimental Robot with Unreliable Sensors

Abstract

This paper reports on the continuing design of and experimentation with Jason, the Berkeley Robot. Progress has been made in various aspects of the hardware (including the chassis, communications controller, and onboard microprocessor) and software (including problem-solving programs and world models). A particular experiment, analogous to the classical "Monkey and Bananas " Problem, is described. A major feature of the reformulation of this problem is the use of Decision Analysis in coping wJ th uncertainty. Based on the accimula ted expected costs of executing the steps of various hypothetical plans, Jason can evaluate the relative merits of direct act ion versus prior information-gathering using potentially unreliable sensors.