Slashdot Mirror
Learning Robots
carnun writes "The NewScientist is reporting on a new snakelike robot that uses genetic algorithms to change its motion pattern so that it can still function after sustaining damage." Roland Piquepaille sends in a report about another "learning" robot, named Adam, which is designed to seek out and feed from "flowers".
A man by the name of Mark Tilden has been building 'unstoppable' robots for years out of regular components. He got his start building cheap, autonomous anti-land mine robots for the military that could have one leg blown off and still crawl around to find another.
He also built $5 robots that crawled through mazes faster than anything MIT ever put together, pissing off the school's robotics department.
Google for BEAM Robotics, and check out this interview:
http://www.exhibitresearch.com/tilden/
the 'genes' part is new (and very cool) but the 'snakebot' as a concept has been around for a while. NASA announced something like it in OCT-00 nasa and this guys tried to put it in layman terms: here
Ah... there's my account ;-)
o t/polybot.html
anyway, this is already done with PolyBot:
http://www2.parc.com/spl/projects/modrobots/polyb
each module is autonomous, and it can make legged as well as snake-like configurations. I assume that this worm i similar.
The Robot: Honda
"The functions of Honda's humanoid robot are defined as follows: An operational system that autonomously performs typical operations under known circumstances. If an extraordinary operation is required under unknown circumstances, the robot will be supported by an operator... [The P3, 1,600mm in height and 130kg in weight, features a computer unit, motor-drive system, battery and wireless apparatus inside the body section. This more sophisticated robot can achieve freer movement, go up and down stairs and push a vehicle.]
[Future Development will focus on]:
For items 2 and 3, it is extremely important that through the evolution of hardware we achieve physical autonomy by improving dynamic performance and adaptability to wider variations of working conditions. Also important is the pursuit of studies in artificial intelligence systems, which will provide the solution for improved autonomy."
The Brains: CYC
"The Cyc product family is powered by an immense multi-contextual knowledge base and an efficient inference engine. The knowledge base is built upon a core of over 1,000,000 hand-entered assertions (or "rules") designed to capture a large portion of what we normally consider consensus knowledge about the world. For example, Cyc knows that trees are usually outdoors, that once people die they stop buying things, and that glasses of liquid should be carried rightside-up."
And of course, lots of little other things, like targeting systems, healing systems (like this article), a CNS to link these higher-level functions to the motor control systems of the robot, um.... GUNS, MISSLES, etc..
Yeah, maybe not such a good idea. Of course, if we truly believed it a bad idea, we'd work for treaties now against robotic warfare, before one of our county's governments builds these and the rest are "forced" to catch up.
That is, if it hasn't started already. Clone wars!
inertial sensor with photonic sensor which allows it to orient with its target (light source). more motion in the direction of light source=better fitness.
System SDK: OPEN-R
or a framework which builds on top of the SDK: Tekkotsu
The goal of the Tekkotsu project is to eventually be able to train a robot like a dog. ;)
It's open-source, so you can try your hand at it if you think it should be easy
I read all the comments about this story.
First, if you want a direct access to my report, click here.
Then, even if I agree that's the code behind and the robot itself don't look *very complex*, I think the idea of a robot recharging its batteries from pseudo-flowers is pretty refreshing -- if I might say so.
And, finally, you need to read what Andy Russell, Professor at Monash University in Australia, says on his homepage: "For me this is a new area of research and so there are no publications as yet."
A last note: the small videos available on his site are really fun to watch.