A Framework for the Generation of Robot Controllers from Examples

Programming by Human Demonstration is an intuitive method to program a robot. The user, acting as the teacher or programmer, shows how a particular task is performed, using an interface device that allows the measurement and recording of applied commands and the data simultaneously perceived by the robot's sensors. This paper presents an extension of this method to the interactive acquisition of elementary robot skills. Based on a model of control tasks, the knowledge that is necessary to perform those tasks is identiied. The actual process of generating and applying a controller and procedures supporting the individual design steps are deened. Last, an interactive programming environment is described that supports the skill acquisition during all phases.