Mapbuilding using Self-Organising Networks in “Really Useful Robots”

The Really Useful Robots (RUR) project is seeking to understand how robots can be built that develop and maintain the task achieving competences they require for flexible and robust behaviour in variable and unforeseen situations, as opposed to these being installed by their designers. In this paper we present an experimental autonomous robot with a map building competence which uses a self-organising network. Map building forms a necessary step on the way to development of a navigational competence. Some encouraging initial test results are also presented.