Action-Selection in Hamsterdam: Lessons from Ethology

A computational model of action-selection is presented, which by drawing on ideas from Ethology, addresses a number of problems which have been noted in models proposed to date including the need for greater control over the temporal aspects of behavior, the need for a loose hierarchical structure with information sharing, and the need for a flexible means of modeling the influence of internal and external factors. The paper draws on arguments from Ethology as well as on computational considerations to show why these are important aspects of any action-selection mechanism for animats which must satisfy multiple goals in a dynamic environment. The computational model is summarized, and its use in Hamsterdam, an object-oriented tool kit for modeling animal behavior is discussed briefly. Results are presented which demonstrate the power and usefulness of the novel features incorporated in the algorithm.