Causing a robot to execute a mission using a behavior tree and a leaf node library

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors configured to:
• identify a mission including tasks that are executable to cause one or more aerial robots to execute respective maneuvers;
• determine a behavior tree in which the mission is modeled,
• wherein the behavior tree includes a trigger node and action nodes,
• wherein the trigger node represents a selected task of a set of tasks, and
• wherein the action nodes represent other tasks of the set of tasks,
• wherein the trigger node returns an identifier of one of the action nodes and causes a next action node, of the action nodes, to be signaled;
• cause the trigger node representing the selected task that is executable to cause the aerial robot to execute a respective maneuver and to return the identifier;
• cause the one or more aerial robots to execute the mission using the behavior tree including the selected task that is executable to cause the aerial robot to execute the respective maneuver;
• detect occurrence of a contingency event during execution of the selected task,
• wherein the contingency event causes an alternative task, of the set of tasks, to be executed when the selected task cannot be successfully executed;
• and
• cause the one or more aerial robots to execute an alternate maneuver associated with the alterative task.

A method of causing one or more aerial robots to execute a mission, the method comprising:

• identifying, by a device, a mission including tasks that are executable to cause one or more aerial robots to execute respective maneuvers;
• determining, by the device, a behavior tree in which the mission is modeled,
• wherein the behavior tree includes a switch node, a trigger node, and action nodes,
• wherein the trigger node represents a selected task, of a set of tasks, and
• wherein the action nodes represent other tasks of the set of tasks,
• wherein the trigger node, when signaled by the switch node, returns an identifier of one of the action nodes to trigger the switch node to signal a next action node of the action nodes,
• causing, by the device, the trigger node to cause the aerial robot to execute a respective maneuver and to return the identifier;
• causing, by the device, the one or more aerial robots to execute the mission using the behavior tree including the selected task to cause the one or more aerial robots to execute the respective maneuvers;
• detecting, by the device, occurrence of a contingency event during execution of the selected task,
• wherein the contingency event causes an alternative task, of the set of tasks, to be selected when the selected task cannot be successfully executed;
• and
• causing, by the device, the one or more aerial robots to execute an alternate maneuver associated with the alterative task in place of a next selected task.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

• one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:
• identify a mission including tasks that are executable to cause one or more aerial robots to execute respective maneuvers;
• determine a behavior tree in which the mission is modeled,
• wherein the behavior tree includes a switch node, a trigger node, and action nodes,
• wherein the trigger node represents a selected task of a set of tasks, and
• wherein the action nodes represent other tasks of the set of tasks,
• wherein the trigger node, when signaled by the switch node, returns an identifier of one of the action nodes to trigger the switch node to signal a next action node of the action nodes;
• cause the trigger node representing the selected task to cause the one or more aerial robots to execute a respective maneuver and the trigger node to return the identifier;
• cause the one or more aerial robots to execute the mission using the behavior tree including the selected task to cause the one or more aerial robots to execute the respective maneuvers;
• detect occurrence of a contingency event during execution of the selected task,
• wherein the contingency event causes an alternative task, of the set of tasks, when the selected task cannot be successfully executed;
• and
• cause the one or more aerial robots to execute an alternate maneuver associated with the alterative task in place of a next selected task.