The AIBO Behavior Model - Overview

AIBO's behavior is defined in a number of Behavior files (/open-r/app/conf/table/b_*). The behavior files vary depending on the dog's stage and personality variant.

For example the Child#2 AIBO personality uses the following behavior files:

    b_at_c2 - main autonomous mode
    b_ea_c - emotions in autonomous mode
    b_st_c2 - main station behavior
    b_sb_c2 - main walking/soccer behavior

    b_es_c - emotions in station mode
    b_av_c - walking around mode (exploring and avoiding obstacles)
    b_ps_c - general position changes (including getting up)
    b_rf_c - some additional general reactions

    In addition to common files such as "b_system", "b_mode" etc.

States:

Each behavior file contains a number of States (or Nodes). Execution of a behavior begins at State # 0. State transitions are done through a system of Patterns and Arcs. Patterns are the conditions under which a state transition will take place. Arcs are the way of transitioning from one state to another.

Examples of patterns are: (shown in the BASIC-like syntax the ERS-11x Browser dumps)

        if ON_STATION
        if PAT
        if SCMD_FOOBAR
        if TRACKING(BALL)
        if system(?)

      NOTE: all of the "system(?)" conditions are not yet deciphered.

Patterns:

Each Pattern has one or more Arcs attached to it. The Arcs are attached to the Pattern with a weight, or probability. When a Pattern's condition is true, one of the Arcs is picked based on a random number and each Arc's probability. Each Arc has an optional action to perform and a new state to goto.

Example #1:
        if HIT then play 7SUP1Y_REF; goto 50

    The Pattern's condition is "if HIT".
    There only one Arc with 100% probability.

    When the dog is HIT, the dog will perform the action named "7SUP1Y_REF",
     and then move to state 50.

Example #2:
        if PAT then
            [50%] then play 7JOY1Y_REF; goto 11
            [50%] then play 7JOY2Y_REF; goto 11

    The Pattern's condition is "if PAT". There are two Arcs, each with
    a 50-50 chance of being chosen. One of the two actions is performed,
    and in either case we move to state 11.

Standard Patterns:

AIBO supports the following list of conditionals based on interaction with the human, and other things. Patterns also have arguments to make some of the condiitons more complicated (details not completely figured out yet).


    Pattern Condition           Description

    CLICK                      Very quick hit (shorter than HIT)
    HIT                        Quick hit (longer than CLICK, shorter than PAT)
    PAT                        Praise pat (longer than HIT)
    LONGPAT                    Very long pat

    LOUD                       Heard a sound
    SCMD_*                     Many sound commands

    OFF_STATION                Dog is off the charging station
    ON_STATION                 Dog is on the charging station

    BALL                       I see the ball
    BALL_LOST                  I don't see the ball
    FAV                        I see my favorite color
    FAV_LOST                   I don't see my favorite color
    UNFAV                      I see my hated color
    UNFAV_LOST                 I don't see my hated color

    MOVE_OBJ, MOVE_OBJECT      I see a moving object
    NEAR_OBJ                   I see a near object
    NEAR_OBJ_LOST              I don't see a near object

    OBSTACLE                   Blocked by obstacle
    SAFE                       Not blocked by obstacle

    LIFT                       Dog rapidly lifted up
    VIBRATION                  Stop shaking me!
    FALLDOWN_FRONT             I've fallen on my face
    FALLDOWN_LEFT              I've fallen on my left side
    FALLDOWN_REAR              I've fallen on my butt
    FALLDOWN_RIGHT             I've fallen on my right side
    RISE                       Dog is standing after falling down
    JAM                        Your finger's jammed in the servo
    HOLDDOWN                   ?

    ACT_OFF                    ??
    ACT_ON                     ??
    EMERGENCY                  ? something really bad
    ENERGY_FULL                ? battery full
    ENERGY_LOW                 ? battery low
    KEYSW_ON                   Pause switch
    READY_CHARGE               ??
    SIT, SLP, STA, STD         ??
    TIMEOVER                   ??
    WTEMP_OVER                 ??

Learned Behavior:

When decoding Learned Data, an additional format including 2 percentages is shown. The first number is the instinctive probability, and the second number is the learned percentage.

Example #3:
        if system(3) then
            [50%->39%] play BTAIL_SIT; goto 701
            [50%->61%] play BTAIL_SIT3; goto 701

    The dog has received more praise when it performs "BTAIL_SIT3"
    than "BTAIL_SIT".  The probability of perfoming "BTAIL_SIT3"
    has been increased so it will do it more often in the future.

For convenience, the probabilities are displayed as a percentage. In fact, the probabilties do not always add up to 100.

Disclaimer: all of the details of the behavior state machine are still not deciphered.