I always get nervous when people start throwing around the word "real", as in "real autonomy", as if the 'normal' autonomy of robots is somehow "fake" or "synthetic", but the "real" stuff is what we're after.
That's right up there with 'automatic' or 'user-friendly' in raising the confusion factor.
Hi Pj, the most interesting thing is how developers are getting closer to using electronics to emulate the human thought process for specific tasks.
Reading Popular Mechanics I came across a robot related article that mentioned the word autonomous, or the ability to make its own decisions and take action based on those decisions. I think for the most part though the robot is controlled by a soldier with a HUD fixed to a helmet. I would like to post a link in this thread as I think its another good example of the many·applications and improvements of robot technology.
· Ordinarily, autonomy·shouldn't warrant·emphasis, but I did so with a purpose: to differentiate between the genuine example provided in the article and the rubbishy, ersatz variety, if you will,·which is·bandied about so frequently around here (as though·definitions were derived·from non-essential characteristics.)
Look dude, YOU may or may not have "real" autonomy, you haven't defined it. Even "Free will" is a philosophically debateable concept. I'm so happy for you that you think repeating "real autonomy" with EMPHASIS changes anything -- but even that article defines some kind of 'learning' algorithm. And many people would argue that a robot with a "learning" algorithm isn't "real autonomy" either.
I'm really not trying to be critical here. I'm simply trying to raise a cautionary point -- that just because YOU think you have an unambiguous definition of an ambiguous term, that doesn't make the term unambiguous.
Trying to mimic a humans thought process does not mean that you cannot use learning algorithms and formulas. Though we are not consciencely aware of them, does not our brain use very similar algorithms. In order to function it must use some kind of instruction set on how to learn, just like any of these robots would.
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I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code
People say that if you play Microsoft CD's backwards, you hear satanic things, but that's nothing, because if you play them forwards, they install Windows.
I spent a minute looking at my own code by accident. I was thinking "What the heck is this guy doing?"
My definition of autonomous is 'Capable of doing a set task without user intervention'
Whether that task is 'move from A to B in a straight line', 'Pick your own path from A to B, avoiding whatever obstacles is present', or 'Play Towers of Hanoi with the pieces placed on platforms that periodically move about', or...
How advanced the task is doesn't matter, neither what kind of sensors or positioning system is used, what is important is that the user sets it a task and lets it loose.
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Don't visit my new website...
Comments
That's right up there with 'automatic' or 'user-friendly' in raising the confusion factor.
Reading Popular Mechanics I came across a robot related article that mentioned the word autonomous, or the ability to make its own decisions and take action based on those decisions. I think for the most part though the robot is controlled by a soldier with a HUD fixed to a helmet. I would like to post a link in this thread as I think its another good example of the many·applications and improvements of robot technology.
http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0307/news/080307_viper.htm
be sure to watch the video it's fascinating
Jeff T.
· Ordinarily, autonomy·shouldn't warrant·emphasis, but I did so with a purpose: to differentiate between the genuine example provided in the article and the rubbishy, ersatz variety, if you will,·which is·bandied about so frequently around here (as though·definitions were derived·from non-essential characteristics.)
I'm really not trying to be critical here. I'm simply trying to raise a cautionary point -- that just because YOU think you have an unambiguous definition of an ambiguous term, that doesn't make the term unambiguous.
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I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code
People say that if you play Microsoft CD's backwards, you hear satanic things, but that's nothing, because if you play them forwards, they install Windows.
I spent a minute looking at my own code by accident. I was thinking "What the heck is this guy doing?"
Whether that task is 'move from A to B in a straight line', 'Pick your own path from A to B, avoiding whatever obstacles is present', or 'Play Towers of Hanoi with the pieces placed on platforms that periodically move about', or...
How advanced the task is doesn't matter, neither what kind of sensors or positioning system is used, what is important is that the user sets it a task and lets it loose.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Don't visit my new website...