# Verbal Programming of Robot Behavior

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.09782 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.09782/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 21 Nov 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [GenComUI: Exploring Generative Visual Aids as Medium to Support Task-Oriented Human-Robot Communication](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.10678/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Home robots may come with many sophisticated built-in abilities, however there will always be a degree of customization needed for each user and environment. Ideally this should be accomplished through one-shot learning, as collecting the large number of examples needed for statistical inference is tedious. A particularly appealing approach is to simply explain to the robot, via speech, what it should be doing. In this paper we describe the ALIA cognitive architecture that is able to effectively incorporate user-supplied advice and prohibitions in this manner. The functioning of the implemented system on a small robot is illustrated by an associated video.