Pilot level of a hierarchical controller for an unmanned mobile robot

The controller for an intelligent mobile autonomous system (IMAS), equipped with vision and low-level sensors to cope with unknown obstacles, is modeled as a hierarchy of decision-making for planning and control. One of the levels (pilot) deals with a distorted 'windshield' view of the world and provides the actuator controller with real-time decisions. This level of IMAS controller is treated as a linguistic controller with fuzzy variables that assume values from possible intervals. The decision-making process at this level of control are presented as a production system with a fuzzy database. The rules in the production system are derived from an analytical system model for minimum-time control. The choice of optimal motion execution commands is performed using fuzzy set operators. Also included is a temporal decision-making mechanism (reporter), which recognizes the persisting conflicts between successive levels of the hierarchy by observing the motion trajectory. >