Human-Robot Coordination Using Scripts

This paper describes an extension of scripts, which have been used to control sequences of robot behavior, to facilitate human-robot coordination. The script mechanism permits the human to both conduct expected, complementary activities with the robot and to intervene opportunistically taking direct control. Scripts address the six major issues associated with human-robot coordination. They allow the human to visualize the robot’s mental model of the situation and build a better overall understanding of the situation and what level of autonomy or intervention is needed. It also maintains synchronization of the world and robot models so that control can be seamlessly transferred between human and robot while eliminating “coordination surprise”. The extended script mechanism and its implementation in Java on an Inuktun micro-VGTV robot for the technical search task in urban search and rescue is described.