The Power of Modeling - a Response to PDDL2.1

TL;DR

This paper critiques PDDL's domain modeling limitations and advocates for exploring alternative approaches to better handle diverse knowledge in planning domains.

Contribution

It highlights the need for improved domain modeling methods beyond PDDL for more effective planning applications.

Findings

PDDL is useful but limited in domain modeling.

Current PDDL design does not adequately address diverse domain knowledge.

The field should explore new modeling approaches.

Abstract

In this commentary I argue that although PDDL is a very useful standard for the planning competition, its design does not properly consider the issue of domain modeling. Hence, I would not advocate its use in specifying planning domains outside of the context of the planning competition. Rather, the field needs to explore different approaches and grapple more directly with the problem of effectively modeling and utilizing all of the diverse pieces of knowledge we typically have about planning domains.