Skill: Controlled Waiting
Purpose
This skill orchestrates a strategic waiting pattern to allow time-dependent processes (e.g., plant growth, chemical reactions, mechanical cycles) to complete. It is triggered when the agent's primary task is blocked, pending the natural progression of a state.
Core Logic
The skill follows a Monitor-Wait-Check cycle:
- •Assess State: Confirm the process requiring time is active (e.g., seeds are planted, device is activated).
- •Execute Wait: Use the
waitaction (for long periods) orwait1(for single steps) to advance the simulation. - •Verify Progress: After waiting, check the environment (
look aroundorexamine) to see if the target state has been reached. - •Repeat or Exit: If the target state is not yet achieved, loop back to step 2. If achieved, exit the skill and resume the main task.
Key Parameters & Decisions
- •Wait Duration: Use
wait(10 steps) for significant biological/mechanical stages. Usewait1for fine-grained control or to observe rapid changes. - •Monitoring Frequency: The interval between checks. Derived from the trajectory: after 2-3
waitactions, alook aroundis performed. Adjust based on the estimated time of the process. - •Exit Condition: Clearly defined by the main task goal (e.g., "banana is present", "device status is 'ready'").
When to Use This Skill
- •After initiating a process that has a known or unknown delay.
- •When the environment state is stable and no other preparatory actions are possible.
- •When prompted by task context (e.g., "give them time to grow", "wait for the reaction to complete").
When NOT to Use This Skill
- •When you can perform other productive actions in parallel.
- •When the process is instantaneous or requires a specific trigger (e.g., pressing a button).
- •If waiting would cause a negative outcome (e.g., a timer expires, an object decays).
Integration with Main Task
This skill is a subroutine. The main task should:
- •Set up the necessary conditions for the time-based process.
- •Invoke this skill.
- •Upon skill completion, verify the outcome and proceed with the next task step (e.g., harvest the grown banana).
Refer to references/botanical_growth_patterns.md for common plant growth stage timings.