Delegating responsibilities in human-robot teams

Trends in combat technology research point to an increasing role for uninhabited vehicles and other robotic elements in modern warfare tactics. However, real-time control of multiple uninhabited battlefield robots and other semi-autonomous systems, in diverse fields of operation, is a difficult problem for modern warfighters that, while identified, has not been adequately addressed. Soar Technology is applying software agent technology to simplify demands on the human operator. Our goal is to build intelligent systems capable of finding the best balance of control between the human and autonomous system capabilities. We are developing an Intelligent Control Framework (ICF) from which to create agent-based systems that are able to dynamically delegate responsibilities across multiple robotic assets and the human operator. This paper describes proposed changes to our ICF architecture based on principles of human-machine teamwork derived from collaborative discourse theory. We outline the principles and the new architecture, and give examples of the benefits that can be realized from our approach.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.