Protocols for Robot Communications: Transport and Content Layers

Communications between cooperating robots can be facilitated by using suitable communications protocols. This paper discusses many of the considerations that impact the form of such protocols, beginning with a primitive model of cooperating robots and their interactions with each other and the external environment. Consideration is paid to the role of the robot's internal model of its world, to the different functions of communications between cooperating robots, and to relevant characteristics of the communications environment. A layered protocol structure is presented, consisting of data transport layers borrowed from computer networking technology and task independent and task dependent content layers. Finally, the effects of the communications environment on this structure are discussed.