We present a model-based approach to the execution and control of an autonomous system, based on flexible behaviours, and supporting a novel view of human-robot interaction. The well-known RoboCup rescue competition is also discussed and presented as a special case for testing human-robot interaction architectures. The activities of the system, according to the components performing them, are modeled as flexible behaviours and are executed according to different modalities, such as fully operated, supervised, fully autonomous. We finally discuss the implementation and tests done both during the contests and in the laboratory, to show performances according to the different modalities.