  Homeostasis keeps animals alive; it is a fundamental process that allows
animals to adapt quickly to their environment. Artificial homeostasis can be
used to help robots adapt to changing environments. Previous attempts at
developing artificial homeostasis for robots were driven by mimicry of the
biochemical machinery that drives homeostasis in humans. By considering
homeostasis from a cognitive perspective, we develop a comparatively simple
robot controller named CogSis (COGnitive HomeostaSIS) and demonstrate that it
can provide homeostasis to a robot, even when there are conflicting needs. We
present experiments showing that a robot running CogSis is able to learn from
previous experiences and use them to influence future behaviour; can maintain
its charge level while attending to another task (warming itself in an area
separate from the charging station); and is able to maintain its charge level
while avoiding a conflicting need (keeping cool, when the charging station is
placed in a hot region of the environment). Results are presented in simulation
and from a real robot platform.
