Planning with Continuous Resources in Stochastic Domains

We consider the problem of optimal planning in stochastic domains with resource constraints, where resources are continuous and the choice of action at each step may depend on the current resource level. Our principal contribution is the HAO* algorithm, a generalization of the AO* algorithm that performs search in a hybrid state space that is modeled using both discrete and continuous state variables. The search algorithm leverages knowledge of the starting state to focus computational effort on the relevant parts of the state space. We claim that this approach is especially effective when resource limitations contribute to reachability constraints. Experimental results show its effectiveness in the domain that motivates our research – automated planning for planetary exploration rovers.