Capability to Act Under Changing Conditions

Autonomous robotic systems must remain capable of acting even when environmental conditions, tasks, or internal system states change. To do so, they need the ability to adapt their strategies and functions based on the situation.

At the Chair of Adaptive Autonomy and Off-Road Robotics, we are researching methods for the autonomous adaptation of systems under conditions of uncertainty and dynamic environments. In doing so, we integrate real-time sensor data and system information (bottom-up) with context, mission objectives, and existing knowledge (top-down).

Research Focuses

Situation-Dependent Adaptation

Autonomous systems must detect changes in their environment and their own state and derive appropriate adaptations from them.

We investigate methods for situation-dependent adaptation of perception, decision-making, and control functions to maintain operational capability under changing conditions.

Learning and Experience

New situations may require adaptations that go beyond predefined responses.

Our research focuses on how experience and learning processes can contribute to improving autonomous action strategies and support future adaptations.

Reconfiguration

Autonomous robotic systems consist of various hardware and software components whose availability and performance may change.

We are exploring approaches to the dynamic reconfiguration of system functions and modular architectures to enable responses to changing requirements or limited resources.

Adaptive Behavioral Strategies

Different situations require different courses of action. For example, a robot must be able to switch between efficient, cautious, and safety-oriented behavior.

The focus is on behavior-based architectures and the situation-dependent selection, coordination, and adaptation of action strategies.

Research Goal

Our goal is to develop adaptive autonomous robotic systems that can detect changes, learn from experience, reconfigure their functions, and independently adapt their action strategies to new conditions.