Ethological Modeling and Architecture for an Entertainment Robot

Ethology is the science of studying the behavior of animals in their natural environment. While much attcntion has been paid in robotics to neuroscientific models of behavior (e.g., [1,17]), less attention has been paid to realistic ethological models other than in simulated studies. It is our contention that ethology provides great insights into the design of practical robotic systems. In this paper, a behavior systems methodology is presented drawing on work from both psychology and ethology. A specific ethological model is crcated for Canis Familiaris, the domestic dog. The modeling process itself is extensible to other animal species. This model is then transformed into an ethological controller suitable for implementation on AIBO, Sony's entcrtainmcnt robot (Figure 1) [7J. The underlying architecture in support of this model is discussed.