Constraint-Based Design of Embedded Intelligent Systems

Substantial progress has been achieved using the standard Constraint Satisfaction Problem framework. However, there is a major unsolved challenge confronting the constraint research community: the constraint-based design of embedded intelligent systems. This requires a new online model of constraint satisfaction and new computational tools for specifying, modeling, verifying and implementing constraint-based, hybrid, intelligent systems, such as robots. The Constraint Net model of Zhang and Mackworth allows the design of hybrid intelligent systems as situated robots: modeling the robot and the environment symmetrically as dynamic systems. If the robot's perceptual and control systems are designed as constraint-satisfying devices then the total robotic system, consisting of the robot symmetrically coupled to the environment, can be proven correct. Some theoretical and practical advances based on this model are described, including experiments with the constraint-based design of robot soccer players.