Reliable Interactive Autonomy for Multi-Agent Systems

Yiwei Lyu

Abstract: In order to achieve the ultimate goal of harmonious human-robot co-existence, the key is to build autonomous robots that can safely interact with humans for collaboration and coordination, as well as demonstrate reliable behavior that is acceptable to humans. These two requirements slightly differ from each other, with the former addressing the safety and functionality of robots as task performers, and the latter emphasizing the social compliance of robots as entities in society. In this abstract, I will outline my efforts towards enhancing the safety and reliability of interactive robot autonomy from three progressively advancing perspectives, 1) self-level autonomy, aiming to develop reactive behavior that ensures safety for individual robots when encountering non-cooperative agents, 2) peer-level autonomy, emphasizing the establishment of a safe interaction mechanism within an diverse and unconnected multi-robot system, and 3) human-involved autonomy, highlighting the consideration of human factors in the decision-making process for the design of multi-robot systems.