  We propose and evaluate a new technique for learning hybrid automata
automatically by observing the runtime behavior of a dynamical system. Working
from a sequence of continuous state values and predicates about the
environment, CHARDA recovers the distinct dynamic modes, learns a model for
each mode from a given set of templates, and postulates causal guard conditions
which trigger transitions between modes. Our main contribution is the use of
information-theoretic measures (1)~as a cost function for data segmentation and
model selection to penalize over-fitting and (2)~to determine the likely causes
of each transition. CHARDA is easily extended with different classes of model
templates, fitting methods, or predicates. In our experiments on a complex
videogame character, CHARDA successfully discovers a reasonable
over-approximation of the character's true behaviors. Our results also compare
favorably against recent work in automatically learning probabilistic timed
automata in an aircraft domain: CHARDA exactly learns the modes of these
simpler automata.
