Read articles #15 and #16 in your supplementary reading packet:
- A Robust Layered Control System for a Mobile Robot by Brooks
- Chapter 7 (The Subsumption Architecture) from Understanding Intelligence by Pfeifer and Scheier
Write a brain that follows a hallway while keeping the robot centered in the middle of the hallway as much as possible. To test your brain, you can use the AndrewHallway world with the Pyrobot Simulator, which is a scale replica of the upstairs hallway in Andrew. This world includes a simulated Pioneer robot with 8 sonar sensors. In class next week, we will test out your brain on a real Pioneer (with 8 sonars) in the Andrew hallway.
Write a subsumption-style brain that can find the light in the series of increasingly difficult Pyro worlds shown below:
 LightBehindWall |
 LightInCorral |
 LightBehindCorral |
 LightEnclosed |
 LightInMaze |
As a starting point, you may use the SubsumptionFindLight brain that we discussed in class. In order to solve this problem, you have several options. One option would be to add a wall-following behavior to help you find the light when it is not immediately visible. Another option would be to add a behavior that seeks out open space as a way to force the robot to explore the environment and search for the light. You are also welcome to add more complex behaviors that keep track of state information about the world if you like. However, you are not allowed to use any global information about the robot's location or heading to help you solve this problem.
Next week, we will demo your solutions for the class and we will also see if your SubsumptionFindLight brain can handle a new, more difficult environment.