Robots, Robots, Robots

destructor writes: "It looks as though robots can answer the questions of life and capitalism through robotic soccer simulations. I found this article over at megarad.com that tells us about Dr. Balch's experiments with soccer robots [NYT, free reg, blah blah]. For now, it is purely a computer simulation, but I guess it will be turned into a physical environment rather soon." Additionally Shabazz writes: "The SF Weekly has a story about a band called 'Captured! by Robots' that started by Jay Vance (who some may recognize from Skankin' Pickle) and several robots that he created. The band is a bit out there, but something that any true geek can appreciate. Maybe this is the start of something great!" Additionally Phred noted that the Oregon Robotics Tournament being held this Saturday (December 1).

Comments

Aibo is there too

[dda]

That's pretty cool . There are lots of sort of soccer championships for robots, one of them with aibo, the famous robot dog. It's especialy interresting in the field of the computer vision interaction.

Sportbots...

[Jace of Fuse!]

Now, next time those professional athletes go on strike we can just replace them with robots!

Logical v. Illogical Actions

[rmo6]

How can robotic action teach us about human relations? Humans are so much more complicated than capacitors, circuits and processing units that there is very little that one could find that would allow us to understand human behavior.

If you look hard enough at anything, you will find what you are looking for.

Remember a scooner is a sailboat and there is no Easter Bunny.

Re:Logical v. Illogical Actions

[Yokaze]

How does dropping a ball let us understand nature?

You observe human behaviour and have the idea that
the behavioural pattern is based on certain stimuli and rules. If a robot with the same stimuli and assumed rules shows the same behavioural pattern you'll have good reason to assume that those rules and stimuli are the cause for the behaviour.

It's similar to Neuronal Networks. How can they teach us about real neurons?
We try to reduce the complicated interaction of neurons and try to reduce it to its bare functional minimum, which let us understand the functioning of (some) real neuronal networks.

It's not about the car assembling robots, but about behaviour simulating robots.

Replacing stuff with robots

[t_allardyce]

They should replace the fans with robots. That way they might actually be able to sing in-time and tune. Also, they could smash stuff up after the game _carefully_ - cutting tables into neat little bits before throwing them at the opposing teams fans and not at passers by or camera-crews. You could deactivate the most violent ones.

I think this experiment could teach us allot about stupid people, and how they behave in packs.

Re:Why soccer?

[squaretorus]

Jigsaws won't work, its too simple a problem (no teamwork required, no changing scenarios in real time), but I agree that something other than Soccer could be a better test of the bots.

Personally I think SKIING would be an excellent test of bots. And it would enable bot builders to justify funding for trips to the alps every now and again.

Ever changing scenario, quick responses, weight balancing, gates to get through in difficult visual conditions. Different disciplines - Jumping, Downhill, Boarding etc...

Admitedly balance element would be a limit at the moment - but given time this could be hugely entertaining stuff to watch when they lose their footing!

Close to luck

[fireboy1919]

The general technique is to use an approximation of search (finding based upon luck) which tends to find good solution. Generally, it is based upon luck, and the only way to guarantee that its human-like is to restrict the search space to human-like possibilities. Whatever human-like means.

This is NOT the simulation of algorithms already created always, its often the creation of totally new algorithms, which can be extracted after development - a learning approach.

How? Straight statistics, support vector machines, decision trees, neural networks, fuzzy logic, and simulated annhealing are all common techniques to lead towards the goal. Who knows what they actually use.

Robot Emotions

[metlin]

A poster above had commented on Logical v. Illogical Actions. I'd agree with him, but what actually sets us apart is emotions, or instinct, however you may choose to call it since the two are subtly connected.

Robot emotions play a much larger part than most people know. In fact, any serious researcher into AI would know that emotions are nothing but another decisive factor, except that they are not well understood.

I'd seriously advice looking at Arthur T Murray's research into this area available here. It has a lot more to it than mere `entertainment` value.

And if you really are worried about robots having souls or a conscience, you should read this!. It is a pretty insightful article into what robots may have to do to qualify as humans.

No reg.

[jeriqo]

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-J