In this paper, we address the problem of communicating, interpreting,and executing complex yet abstract instructions to a robot teammember. This requires specifying the tasks in an unambiguous manner,translating them into operational procedures, and carrying outthose procedures in a persistent yet reactive manner. We reportour response to these issues, after which we demonstrate theircombined use in controlling a mobile robot in a multi-room officesetting on tasks similar to those in search-and-rescue operations.We conclude by discussing related research and suggesting directionsfor future work.

In this paper, we report progress on making synthetic characters more taskable. In particular, we present an English-like command language that lets one specify complex behaviors an agent should carry out in a virtual environment. We also report compilers that translate English commands into a formal notation and formal statements into procedures for Icarus, an agent architecture that supports reactive execution. To demonstrate the benefits of such taskability, we have integrated Icarus with Twig, which provides a simulated physical environment with humanoid agents. We use the command language to specify three complex activities, including responding to an object contingently, collecting and storing a set of objects, and negotiating with another agent in order to purchase an item. We also discuss related work on controlling synthetic characters, along with paths for additional research on taskability.