Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00748
To: beam beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Richard Piotter richfile@rconnect.com
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 19:32:14 -0600
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: associative memories
In response to the flee when it sees/hears a big/loud robot, I might as well
mention. The researchers that built the 78 neuron neural net I'm looking into
used the coclroach periplaneta americana as their model. This was 8 years ago
(actualy the computer model was 10 years, and the robot based on it 8 years
ago). They made a 78 neuron neural net on a computer and created a "virtual"
robot on the computer. First observation was the use of varing and completely
diferent gaits. Not only did it exibit multiple gaits, but they were very much
like the biological creature they modeled the neural net by. It was able to
walk, even with connections removed and neurons disabled! They hadn't even added
the "brain" yet! Infact, it was very much like some of Tilden's more complex
work like lobster if you ask me! They added the higher brain, and were able to
give it wall following abilities (either side, whatever wall it came in contact
with), and to seek food! 78 neurons and 156 connections!
That was 10 years ago. 2 years later, they actualy constructed a body for it,
and after tuning it, it worked just as well as the computer sim! They said their
next project just happened to be startle response! I'd love to add a startle
board to this thing when it's done, or make a seprate board. I sure hope to
build this thing! If I kew how to do neural nets on a CPU, I'd do the brain like
that, and leave the lower body to physical circuitry. I actualy did find a vauge
diagram of the neurons that are responsible for triggering the cockroaches 60 mS
response to air disturbance (It's super annoyingly fast ability to avoid your
foot for example).
Also, my search turned up nothing, but if anyone has heard of Randall D. Beer,
Hillel J. Chiel, they worked on this thing at Case Western Reserve university (I think).
--
Richard Piotter
richfile@rconnect.com
The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
http://members.xoom.com/richfiles
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