The concept of PEIS Ecology: Integrating Robots into smart environments

Autonomous robotic devices are vital to the peformance of space mission. These range from smart servo-controlled devices (e.g., an antenna or a camera) to autonomous mobile robots (e.g., planetary rovers) to future interactive astronaut assistants. Each robotic device operates in its specific environment, which is usually not fully predictable and not fully observable, and which may include humans. In the classical view of autonomous robotics, the robot and its environment are seen as two distinct entities. This view is often assimilated to a two-player antagonistic game, in which the robot has to find a strategy to achieve its goals in spite of the actions performed by the environment.