Principles of minimal control for comprehensive team behaviour

We present an approach to the design of a comprehensive set of behaviours for locally-controlled robots which must engage in inter-group competition. Such a "comprehensive" set of behaviours includes the ability to make progress towards team goals and obstruct progress of opponents by interacting constructively with teammates, and safely with all environmental objects. Our design principles guide us to maintain complexity of desired behaviour while minimizing complexity of control and requirements of accurate sensing, precise action, and communication. The resulting systems are small, simple, robust, and easily portable between platforms. These methods are discussed in the context of the design of the "Spirit of Bolivia", a soccer team of five autonomous robots which was undefeated in the RoboCup '97 championship, and which is currently training for RoboCup '98.