We propose a multiagent, distributed approach to autonomous mobile robotics which is an alternative to most existing systems in literature: robots are thought of as mobile units within an intelligent environment where they coexist and co-operate with fixed, intelligent devices that are assigned different roles: helping the robot to localize itself, controlling automated doors and elevators, detecting emergency situations, etc. To achieve this, intelligent sensors and actuators (i.e. physical agents) are distributed both onboard the robot and throughout the environment, and they are handled by Real-Time software agents which exchange information on a distributed message board. The paper outlines the benefits of the approach in terms of efficiency and Real-Time responsiveness.
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