1. COMP 14: Computer Science, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence June 22, 2000 Nick Vallidis

2. Announcements zP6 is due tomorrow zTomorrow is a review class - bring questions you want answered!!!!

3. Today zWhat does a computer scientist do? zRobotics zArtificial Intelligence

4. What's a computer scientist do? zLet's ask Jeeves first: yJeeves' answerJeeves' answer zMy answer: yComputers are a new, complex kind of tool yComputer scientists figure out how to do useful things with computers: xgraphics & medical imaging xnetworking xsharing information (the web) xrobotics & artificial intelligence!

5. Where do we work? zThere are basically three places that use computer scientists: yAcademia - colleges and universities for teaching and research yResearch institutions - NASA, plus other companies that do research (Microsoft, Bell Labs, etc.) yIndustry - programmers (writing the software that people use on their computers)

6. Robotics za robot is basically a mechanism that operates under computer control zThe main purpose they serve these days is to do boring, repetitive tasks zThe fun ones are research robots and that's what I'll talk about

7. Basic Robot zHas three parts: zReads sensors to understand environment zComputes what to do based on sensors zUses actuators to do it Sensors Computer Actuators

8. Sensors & Actuators zMany possible sensors: yvideo cameras ytilt sensors yforce sensors zMany possible actuators: yElectric motors yHydraulics yPneumatics

9. Mobile Robotics zAll the stuff I've done is in the field called Mobile Robotics. ymeans that robot can move around on its own power yas opposed to most industrial robots, which are giant arms bolted to the floor zThere are two types of mobile robots: ywalking robots ywheeled robots

10. Examples, examples zWe'll do this by example… zRobots I worked on at Carnegie Mellon: yDaedalus yLunar Rover (Nomad) yBlack Widow zRobot I worked on at NASA: yDexter

11. Daedalus zDesigned to be a planetary explorer

12. Daedalus zan example of a frame walker Frame 1: Frame 2: Legs

13. Nomad zDesigned to test ideas for a commercial trip to the moon (LunaCorp)

14. Nomad zWent to the Atacama desert of Chile zSearched for meteorites in Antarctica zIs a wheeled robot zSuper-cool collapsible steering mechanismcollapsible steering mechanism zVideo

15. Dexter zTest robot for doing low-power legged locomotion zVideo

16. Black Widow zMy senior thesis research project

17. Black Widow zPatterned somewhat after an insect (leg length, number of legs) zPatterned somewhat after a crab zPurpose was to try out walking algorithms. zI tested out a training method for neural networks

18. Artificial Intelligence zAttempts to understand and build intelligent entities zFour different definitions of AI: yacting humanly (the Turing Test) ythinking humanly ythinking rationally yacting rationally (this is the goal of robotics)

19. Problems that require AI zNatural Language Processing ymake a computer understand English zMachine Learning ychange behavior based on experience zPerception of a visual scene ybe able to pick out people, objects, etc. zRobotics! ynavigation, accomplishing tasks, etc.

20. AI Techniques zSome that you've probably heard of: yNeural Networks yGenetic Algorithms yFuzzy Logic zOthers that are popular: yReinforcement learning yProbabilisitic reasoning ySearch techniques

21. Neural Networks zBased on animal nervous systems:

22. Neural Network Neuron Input Links (from other neurons) Weighted Sum Activation Function Output Links (to other neurons)

23. A Simple Neural Network Output Input

24. Training Neural Networks zThat was Black Widow's neural network to keep the body level. zTo train (decide the weights to use in the weighted sums) a NN, you have to give it LOTS of examples zTraditionally, these are generated in simulation or by people yI made the robot do the work...

25. Review tomorrow zBRING QUESTIONS!!!!!