A robotic paradigm is the relationship between the three primitives of robotics: Sense, Plan, and Act.
It can also be described via the processing and distributing methods of sensory data through its system, and where decisions are made.
Three robotic paradigms (methods) are usually distinguished:
Hierarchical Paradigm The humanoid robot senses the world, plans the next action, acts; plans the next move.
Hierarchical Paradigm
Reactive Paradigm Sense-act type of organization via multiple instances of Sense-Act behaviors.
Reactive Paradigm
Hybrid Deliberate/Reactive Paradigm The humanoid robot first plans how to best divide a task into subtasks, then what suitable behaviours to accomplish each subtask would be, and finally starts executing behaviors. The Reactive Paradigm is therefore a mixture (hybrid) of Hierarchical and Reactive methods.