1. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Dr Richard Mitchell Senior Lecturer in Cybernetics Director of Teaching & Learning for the School of Systems Engineering University of Reading, UK Cybernetics and Robotics © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009

2. Cybernetics and Robotics Cybernetics is the study of systems - technological, animal, economic or environmental –interdisciplinary. 60 years since Wiener’s book was published, it is even more appropriate and applicable The aim of this talk is to give an overview of the subject, show some recent / current work here, and to consider briefly where the subject is going. Various concepts and applications are considered, including Robotics, but also the use of technology to help in medicine, intelligence and Gaia hypothesis.

3. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 ‘ Cybernetics’ is derived from the Greek word kybernetes meaning steersman, a person in control Ampere used the term for science of government It arose from discussions between researchers from various disciplines with common interests As the science of systems it is as relevant to the study of our effect on natural systems as to the design of complex technological systems Cybernetics encompasses related subjects Cyberneticists (eg McCulloch) pioneered Control, AI... Cybernetics

4. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Definitions + Areas of Cybernetics Control & Communication in the animal & the machine “First Order” Cybernetics – for control Advanced systems – learn to control, act, etc – Cybernetics includes learning and intelligence Interacting Systems – In particular Human-Machine interactions, VR Environmental Cybernetics Gaia hypothesis These all involve feedback …

5. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Cybernetics - a Different Perspective Fundamental principles, such as feedback, applicable to a great variety of diverse systems, technological, environmental, biological, or a mixture

6. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback for Control : Steersman Note signs – net sign round loop is –ve : for control Also for steering / speed control of other vehicles Winds/Tides Steersman Course Boat Left / Right + - How does feedback work?

7. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback for Control of Robot Arm In fact, need control for each joint, …. Obstacles Joint Motors Position Robot Arm Turn / Anti Clock + -

8. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback for Central Heating Sun, PCs, People Air Con/Boiler Temperature Room Heat / Cool + -

9. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback for Body Control Sun, Illness, etc Action Temperature Body Sweat / Shiver +-

10. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback for VR Human Computer -ment Image Move +- Also include other senses – eg touch … haptics Also Augmented Reality and Tele-operation

11. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback for Learning You learn by your mistakes ……

12. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Neural Network Learning Like brain: have network of neurons Each neuron sums products of each input and weight of connection Provide inputs, calculate outputs But must learn weights Feedback! Outputs Inputs Expected Outputs Outputs Learning Weights Change Inputs Network

13. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Inherent Feedback regulator vessel clock water supply vessel valve float Cybernetics began in the toilet! Bucket – hole in bottom As water flows out, less weight, so less pressure – water flow reduced Led to first man-made feedback system – water clock – 250 BC

14. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 But, Feedback Can be Problematic Also applies to stock markets ! Managers Workforce Prices Wages + + Note the signs : net sign round loop is positive

15. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Arms Races Examples in nature as well as warring countries … Prey Predator Better armour Better weapons + +

16. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Snowball Earth When Earth tilts, starts cooling … Reverse process also : rapid heating Earth Ice-caps CoolsLarger + +

17. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 So feedback can control – reduce disturbances Sometimes it can cause problems In fact there are two types of feedback Negative Feedback – for control Positive Feedback – for change Positive not necessarily bad if Negative also In fact, it can be used to move towards a new state and held there using negative feedback Not really done in man-made systems … Positive and Negative Feedback

18. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Daisyworld – explain Gaia Note, for long period, temp constant – better if more species! Once 7 O C: daisies grow, heating or cooling, until too hot Sun Daisies Temperature Planet Black / White if no life if life Time C o 7 22 37 Temp Daisies on planet orbiting heating sun – grow best at 22 O C, not if 37 O C.

19. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Some Applications There are numerous applications of Cybernetics The next three slides introduces these Then there are detailed slides with some videos etc of some work done. Some of this is at the undergraduate project level Some at staff/research level My thanks to all students/staff involved. Apologies to colleagues whose work is not there

20. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Interactive R2-D2 Toy By Dave Keating Feedback Control – derived from work here Robotics Communicating & Learning Yorick – stereo robot head

21. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Biomedical Prosthetic Hand Gentle – stroke rehabilitation Haptics –feeling – Use with VR, e.g. surgery training CYBORG - Implant

22. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Instrumentation and Signals Terahertz Technology Infra-red Multi Layer Filters – in space Relates to Gaia Also, novel uses of feedback in instruments

23. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Learning Studies in Simulated Mobile Robots Isaac Ashdown - BSc Intelligent Systems Reinforcement learning by 5 fuzzy automata System to determine how many automata needed

24. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Collaborative Robot Behaviour Flocking FollowingHomingExploring Daniel Saxil-Nielsen - BSc AI and Cybernetics To investigate collaboration with multiple agents, in particular with little or no communication.

25. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Augmented Reality Add imagery to real scene : eg imaginary robots Or - as here – image showing emotion Emotion Transformer If Sonar > 20cm Then Curiosity++ Else Curiosity-- Emotion Generator If Curiosity > 30 Then Speed += 20 Else Speed -= 10 Chris Tingley MEng Computer Science and Cyb

26. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Run.. Affects Anger/Curiosity SensorsEmotion Transform Emotion Generator Motors

27. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Bipedal simulation in SimMechanics By Erez Ashkenzi - MEng Cybernetics Why Legs? Wheels ok on smooth terrain … It is a tough control problem – Requires advanced non-linear control schemes

28. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Robot with a Biological Brain Kevin Warwick (Cyb) Ben Whalley (Pharmacy) etc Robot controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons To examine how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data Could lead to a better understanding of development and of diseases and disorders http://www.reading.ac.uk/research/films/res- otherresearchfilms.asp

29. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Also On Intelligence / Brains Slawek Nasuto Swarm and Distributed Intelligence Understanding the brain Brain Interfaces.. EEG to Computer using ICA Input Processing & Translation Output

30. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Active Vision: Motion Tracking and Prediction Andrew David Stuart Smith - MEng Cybernetics Aim to track an object moving in an environment using predictive behaviour, thus removing the need for time expensive image processing routines.

31. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Optimal 3D Xray Scanning For medical and security applications - 3D surface derived, using multi-view epipolar geometry, from 2D contours using 10 conventional X-ray images from diff angles (determined using genetic algorithms) For more info, contact Simant Prakoonwit Much less data than CT methods – much cheaper

32. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 HCI for Elderly / Disabled Point & Click difficult for elderly So (eg) expand target as cursor nears force-feedback mouse – easier cursor interactions if tremors tactile technologies to make graphics accessible for people with vision impairment. Faustina Hwang

33. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Simulation For Minimally Invasive Surgery On the Shoulder Helen Batson - BSc Biomedical Eng & Cyb To create a medical training simulation for shoulder surgery which finds positions on the surface of the socket of the shoulder, and provides a six degrees of freedom input device to manipulate a virtual probe

34. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Haptics, Robots for Rehabilitation http://www.reading.ac.uk/research/researchshowcase /neurorehabilitation/res-neurorehabilitation.asp How the use of a robotic arm and virtual reality games can offer entirely new approaches to neurorehabilitation. For haptics: http://www.personal.reading.ac.uk/~shshawin/LN/thril.html

35. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Haptic Torch Adam Spiers, BSc Cyb & Control Engineering Improve navigational abilities for people with varying levels of visual impairment Replace white stick Distance of objects found by ultrasound moves tactile device http://www.reading.ac.uk/isrg/isrg-haptic-torch.asp

36. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Musical Juggling ball Aim: a new musical interface capable of being utilised particularly in a therapeutic setting. Specifically allowing those with additional needs to participate in music creation as a therapy. Alexander Leming - MEng Cybernetics

37. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Feedback and Instrumentation Coil output is measure of Earthquake Coil Position Pendulum Left / Right Earthquake Force Feedback Seismometer Small pendulum in coil, feedback stops it moving Also force feedback microphone Also used in design of Terahertz Instruments

38. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Terahertz Research MicrowavesTerahertzInfraredVisible 3 mm, 100 GHz30 μm, 10 THz Electronic techniquesPhotonic techniques Last part of e.m spectrum to be explored Energies of many key biological processes here So plenty of interesting applications

39. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Terahertz Applications Medical imaging – non-invasive biopsy of skin cancer Security screening –detection of concealed weapons Non-destructive testing – e.g. pharmaceuticals Plasma diagnosticsLabel-free DNA sequencing RadarCommunications Meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry Infra-Red Multi Layer Filters also allow gases in atmosphere to be determined … and this relates to Gaia hypothesis and Environmental Cybernetics

40. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Gaia James Lovelock – visiting Professor in Cybernetics Postulated Life and Planet act as one - regulating environmental variables to mutual advantage eg temperature, reasonably steady despite large change in strength of solar radiation Greenhouse gases down as sun’s output up by 25% Plants Temperature Earth CO 2 Increasing Sun’s O/p

41. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Climate Change and Gaia Life existed continually since began Have been major extinctions – eg snowball earth when life started – rapid drop of CO 2 + meteors So –ve feedbacks meant temp controlled well enough Now suggested that the CO 2 temp loop changed to a net positive loop … could lead to major change. Or, in 100 million years, sun so hot - no CO 2 needed – so no plants – or +ve fb move Gaia to new temp, say 25 O C, where CO 2 needed – good for plants Better Climate models now need – must include life

42. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Systems Engineering at Reading School of Systems Engineering comprises Computer Science, Informatics, Cybernetics and Electronic Engineering We offer BSc/BEng and MEng degrees in the above plus Joint degrees between subjects eg Robotics There are also degrees with Business and Maths Entry Points vary … typically 320 points for MEng 280 for BSc The next Open Day is in September.

43. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Degrees in Systems Engineering CS IT IT&M SwE CSM CS/CY AI/CY Rob SysE CY CyCon BioMCy EE/CY EE EE/CS ConsEl CEng Main undergraduate degrees; Can have variants with industry year Some exist as MEng and BSc/BEng Also run MSc degrees and PhD

44. © Dr Richard Mitchell 2009 Summary Cybernetics is a broad subject – a systems subject It is appropriate in many applications Robotics is one area But there are many more, technological and non.. You can study Cybernetics, Robotics and many more subjects at the University of Reading Any questions?