Technical University of Munich

@inproceedings{stulp_seamless_2007,
 author = {F Stulp and W Koska and A Maldonado and M Beetz},
 title = {Seamless Execution of Action Sequences},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the {IEEE} International Conference on Robotics and
	Automation ({ICRA)}},
 year = {2007},
 pages = {3687--3692},
 abstract = {One of the most notable and recognizable features of robot motion
	is the abrupt transitions between actions in action sequences. In
	contrast, humans and animals perform sequences of actions efficiently,
	and with seamless transitions between subsequent actions. This smoothness
	is not a goal in itself, but a side-effect of the evolutionary optimization
	of other performance measures. In this paper, we argue that such
	jagged motion is an inevitable consequence of the way human designers
	and planners reason about abstract actions. We then present subgoal
	refinement, a procedure that optimizes action sequences. Subgoal
	refinement determines action parameters that are not relevant to
	why the action was selected, and optimizes these parameters with
	respect to expected execution performance. This performance is computed
	using action models, which are learned from observed experience.
	We integrate subgoal refinement in an existing planning system, and
	demonstrate how requiring optimal performance causes smooth motion
	in three robotic domains.},
}