Robotics Introduction

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Robotics Introduction

• ITGS

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Robots

• The term is derived from the Czech word robota,
  meaning "forced labour"
• A mechanical device controlled by computer
  processors and programs that perform human-like
  tasks.
• A robot may not look anthropomorphic

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Android

• A machine created to perform one or more
  functions normally carried out by humans. Means
  literally possessing human features the Oxford
  English Dictionary defines android as an
  automaton resembling a human being. Androids
  resemble humans while robots need not, but may,
  have physical features like those of humans.

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Cyborg

• A human with one or more mechanical or electronic
  devices implanted to enhance the capabilities of
  that human.

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Isaac Asimov

• born Jan. 2, 1920, Petrovichi, Russiadead
  April 6, 1992, New York, N.Y., U.S.
• American author and biochemist, a highly
  successful and prolific writer of science fiction
  and of science books for the layperson. He
  published about 500 volumes. Asimov was brought
  to the United States at the age of three. He grew
  up in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduating from Columbia
  University in 1939 and taking a Ph.D. there in
  1948. He then joined the faculty of Boston
  University, with which he remained associated
  thereafter.

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Asimovs Three Laws of Robotics

• Laws supposed to be programmed into all robots
  for human safety and robot development
• A robot may not injure a human being, or, through
  inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given it by human
  beings except where such orders would conflict
  with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as
  such protection does not conflict with the First
  or Second Law.

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First law issues

• In which circumstances can the first law be
  violated?
• If the life of one human being is threatened by
  the life of another human being. Robots cannot
  ignore the situation due to the inaction
  section of the law.Therefore
• Can a robot save the human being without hurting
  the other ?
• What happens if the robot is uncertain about the
  order causing any indirect harm to a human being?
  
• Must he carry out the order ?

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Second law issues

• In which circumstances can the second law be
  violated?
• What happens if a human gives an order that is
  impossible to carry out by robots, or worst, that
  may create a dilemma on the robot and cease its
  functionability ?
• Must the robot accept the order ?
• What happens if one robot doesn't take an order
  because he is uncertain about the harm it may
  cause a human being, but a second robot knows
  that the order is safe (or not) ?
• The second robot must help the first robot obey
  in a truer manner the second law.
• (ref Robots and Empire,1965 two robot
  combination)

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Third law issues

• In which circumstances can the third law be
  violated?
• Must each robot protect the existence of robots
  as a whole or each robot must preserve its own
  existence ?

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Using robots to kill without violating the laws
of robotics

• Telling a robot to build a bear trap on the
  woods (to protect humans!) and a second robot
  (independently) to take a man for a walk in the
  woods (to protect this man!).

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The laws of Humanics (not in syllabus)

• A human may not injure another human being, or,
  through inaction, allow a human being to come to
  harm.
• A human must give orders to robots that preserve
  robotic existence unless those orders cause harm
  or discomfort to another human being.
• A human being must not harm a robot or through
  inaction allow a robot to come to harm, unless
  such harm is needed to keep a human being from
  harm or to allow a vital order to be carried out.

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Robots vs. Humans

• What can robots do that humans cant do?
• What can humans do that robots cant do?
• What can a robot do better than humans?
• What can humans do better than robots?

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Robot issues

• Can robots reproduce by themselves?
• Dynamic vs. Static robots society.
• Darwin theory applied to robots.
• Robot programming
• humans or robots
• Dis-economies of scale.
• Human programming demand grows.
• Robots reduce employment ?

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Turing test

• A test for deciding whether a computer is
  intelligent, proposed in 1950 by Alan Turing.
  Turing preferred to consider if machines can be
  intelligent as distinct from Can machines
  think?. In a Turing test, human(s) communicate
  in writing with an unseen person or machine. If
  the human(s) cannot distinguish between an unseen
  human and an unseen machine (computer) then the
  machine is said to have passed the test and is
  intelligent.

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Real turing test (January, 2000)
Reference http//www.dartmouth.edu/phil/events/T
uringTestConference.html Go to summary
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Artificial Intelligence

• Class work 7 minute research on definitions for
  artificial intelligence.
• Definition (IB)
• A property of machines that, if achieved, mimics
  human thought processes. Many researchers in
  artificial intelligence consider the abilities of
  learning, reasoning and decision making as
  essential to claims of machines possessing
  artificial intelligence.
• What do you think about AI ?

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Expert systems

• Definition
• A programmed system containing the collective
  knowledge of experts in a given area. Expert
  systems also employ reasoning methodologies or
  models to emulate an expert decision making
  process.
• Applications Medicine, Mineral detection,
  financial transactions, games, writing plays, etc.

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Fuzzy Logic

• A type (set) of Boolean logic used to process
  conditions of partial truth (i.e. for values that
  lie between being completely true and completely
  false.)
• Fuzzy logic was developed in 1960 by Dr. Lofti
  Zadeh in recognition of the fact that conditions
  exist that cannot be easily described as
  belonging to a binary classification 1 or 0,
  or -, TRUE or FALSE.

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Fuzzy Logic

• Fuzzy logic attempts to treat degrees of truth or
  probabilities of truth as distinct from declaring
  that a condition is either always true or always
  false.
• Practical applications in computer controlled
  systems include the control of fuel/air mixtures
  in internal combustion engines the proportional
  slowing of the speed of objects as they approach
  a given state or target the heating or cooling
  of objects or spaces, e.g. to prevent overcooling
  or overheating the mixing of two or more
  ingredients to achieve a defined final condition
  (especially when the components and their
  properties are constantly changing) the
  operation of some equipment for paramedics.
• Fuzzy logic uses weighted algorithms in computer
  programs to simulate human thought or life-like
  responses to external conditions.
• The Sony PalmTop apparently uses a fuzzy logic
  decision tree algorithm to perform handwritten
  (well, computer lightpen) Kanji character
  recognition.

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