CS5811: Homework 3

Planning

1. Submit your programs and documents both using "submit" and as a hardcopy. (Please submit the non-program documents too, your hardcopy package should be the same as the online package). For the hardcopies of programs and outputs, I prefer enscript with two columns to save paper:
      (enscript -2Gr -P<printer-name> <file-name>).
2. Include a description of how you perform the test runs so that I can duplicate your work. Avoid printing long and unreadable search traces though---keep it concise and to-the-point.
3. This is an individual assignment. All the work should be the author's in accordance with the university academic integrity policies.

1. Vhpop. It is a partial order planner that can use plan graph based heuristics.

   The Vhpop system can be accessed at: /classes/cs5811/common/VHPOP-2.0/. Information is available : here. Note that the version in this site is 2.1, and is not as compatible with our system software as 2.0.

   Try the following to get started:

   • Vhpop with the open conditions (OC) heuristic:
   • Vhpop with the planning graph (ADD) heuristic:
   • Vhpop with the planning graph (ADD) heuristic and static flaws first (this is the fastest for larger problems):

     [nilufer@wopr VHPOP-2.0]$ vhpop -h OC examples/gripper-domain.pddl
     examples/gripper-2.pddl
     ;strips-gripper2
     1:(pick ball1 rooma left)
     2:(move rooma roomb)
     3:(drop ball1 roomb left)
     Time: 2
     [nilufer@wopr VHPOP-2.0]$ vhpop -h ADD examples/gripper-domain.pddl
     examples/gripper-2.pddl
     ;strips-gripper2
     1:(pick ball1 rooma right)
     2:(move rooma roomb)
     3:(drop ball1 roomb right)
     Time: 15
     [nilufer@wopr VHPOP-2.0]$ vhpop -h ADD -f static
     examples/gripper-domain.pddl examples/gripper-2.pddl
     ;strips-gripper2
     1:(pick ball1 rooma left)
     2:(move rooma roomb)
     3:(drop ball1 roomb left)
     Time: 13
     

   • Blackbox. It is a planner that unifies Satisfiability based and Graphplan based planning. It can also be told which algorithm or SAT solver to try and for how long.

     The BLACKBOX system can be accessed at: /classes/cs5811/common/bb_39/. Information is available : here.

     Try the following in the Examples/tire-world directory to get started :

     ../../blackbox -o domain.pddl -f tire-b.pddl
     

1. Code the dinner-date problem that we worked on in class with non-parametric actions. Have each planner solve the problem.
2. Switch to parametric actions and code at least 4 variations of the same problem. The new problems should be different in some aspect (length of the solution plan, number of objects in the domain, and so on). For instance, you can add
   • more tasks to be completed (For instance vacuuming. Be sure to code the preconditions and interactions for the new actions: vacuuming is not quiet, need to have a vacuum cleaner.)
   • more ways of completing each task (e.g., dolly with dolly1, dolly2, ...)
   • alternative ways of completing each task. For instance, one can dolly or carry to take the garbage out, one can vacuum or sweep to clean the floors.
   • each task is more complicated to complete. For instance, you need to open the container, put the garbage bag in, and close the container before dollying.
   Be sure to code several problems rather than just one for each dimension of variation.