Method and device for operating a machine

A device for operating a machine, the device configured to:

• provide a sequence of skills of the machine for executing a task;
• select a sequence of states from a plurality of sequences of states, depending on a likelihood, wherein the likelihood is determined depending on a transition probability from a final state of a first sub-sequence of states of the sequence of states for a first skill in the sequence of skills to an initial state of a second sub-sequence of states of the sequence of states for a second skill in the sequence of skills;
• and
• execute the task based on at least on the first skill and the second skill, wherein the task includes physically manipulating an object by the machine, wherein the final state of the first sub-sequence is determined depending on a final component of an instance of the first skill, wherein the initial state of the second sub-sequence is determined depending on an initial component of an instance of the second skill, and wherein the transition probability is determined depending on a divergence between a first Gaussian mixture Model for the final component and a second Gaussian mixture Model for the initial component.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program including computer readable instructions for operating a machine, the instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

• providing a sequence of skills of the machine for executing a task;
• selecting a sequence of states from a plurality of sequences of states, depending on a likelihood, wherein the likelihood is determined depending on a transition probability from a final state of a first sub-sequence of states of the sequence of states for a first skill in the sequence of skills to an initial state of a second sub-sequence of states of the sequence of states for a second skill in the sequence of skills;
• and
• executing the task based on at least on the first skill and the second skill, wherein the task includes physically manipulating an object by the machine, wherein the final state of the first sub-sequence is determined depending on a final component of an instance of the first skill, wherein the initial state of the second sub-sequence is determined depending on an initial component of an instance of the second skill, and wherein the transition probability is determined depending on a divergence between a first Gaussian mixture Model for the final component and a second Gaussian mixture Model for the initial component.