A tutorial at AAAI 2018, February 3, 2018, New Orleans, USA (Location: Room Canal @ 3rd Floor, 9:00 AM – 01:00 PM)

Modelling Planning Domains

by Roman Barták and Lukáš Chrpa

Tutorial Description:

Research efforts in the Automated Planning community predominantly focus on developing novel planning techniques and incorporating and/or combining them into domain-independent planning engines that can be exploited in a wide range of real-world applications (e.g., Space Exploration, Manufacturing, Urban Traffic Control). In contrast to domain-dependent approaches, where one has to develop an algorithm for solving planning problems in a specific domain, domain-independent approach provides a lot of flexibility by decoupling domain models and planning engines. For being able to exploit domain-independent planning engines, one has to develop a planning domain model which, roughly speaking, describes the environment and actions.

This tutorial focuses on audience from various areas of AI, who is interested in using of domain-independent Automated Planning engines in their research efforts. With regards to the domain modelling process, we will introduce available “machinery”, i.e., languages and knowledge engineering tools, that can be exploited, a “walk-through” of the process, and our practical experience with developing domain models for real-world applications. Attendees will get a basic understanding of the domain modelling process, tools they can exploit, and challenges they will face. A basic level of knowledge of Automated Planning is recommended (on the level of an undergraduate AI course).

  

Tutorial Syllabus:

  • Introduction and Background
    • AI Planning, formal concepts
  • Planning Domain Modelling Languages and Tools
    • Languages: PDDL, NDDL, ANML, HTN, Picat
    • Tools: itSimple, Planning.Domains, KEWI, PDDL studio
    • ICKEPS lessons
  • Designing and Developing a Domain Model
    • 15-puzzle, NoMystery Domain
    • Road Traffic Accident Management
  • Development of Real-World Planning Application
    • Petrobras
    • Task Planning for Automous Underwater Vehicles
  • Issues and Open Problems

 

 

About the Authors

roman
 Roman Barták works as a full professor and a researcher at Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic), where he leads Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization Research Group. His research work focuses on techniques of constraint satisfaction and modeling and their application to planning, scheduling, and other areas.
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Lukáš Chrpa is an assistant professor at Artificial Intelligence Center at Czech Technical University in Prague and a part-time researcher at Charles University in Prague. His research concerns intelligent decision-making, applications of domain-independent planning, and using knowledge engineering techniques in designing and developing planning domain models.