Action-Based Planning

This paper presents an approach to domain representation and planning that is fundamentally different from traditional methods; an approach based strictly on actions and their interrelationships, rather than on state-based goals and preconditions. In particular, we focus on the action-based planner COLLAGE, describe its methods for plan-construction, and contrast them with more traditional approaches to planning. Experiences with COLLAGE in realistic domains have shown that the action-based approach is not only more natural to use, but can also be more cost-efficient than traditional planning methods.