A11 Architecture Aims to Bridge Gap Between Robot Automation and True Autonomy

A new decision-making framework called A11 proposes a vertical architectural structure for autonomous robots, contrasting with the horizontal module-based pipelines used in current industry systems. Today's robots follow a Perception-to-Behavior-Tree pipeline that executes tasks but cannot represent persistent mission-level intentions or independently resolve conflicts between safety and planning. A11 introduces eleven structured layers — from mission intent and values down to execution and mission evaluation — designed to keep safety constraints immutable and separate from planning algorithms. When a conflict arises, such as a planned route crossing a restricted area, A11 is designed to detect it, log it, generate a revised intention, and continue the mission without human intervention. Proponents argue that without such an architecture, robots remain sophisticated automation tools rather than genuinely autonomous agents capable of explainable, adaptive decision-making.