Class 1 -Introduction Autonomous Systems & Braitenberg Controllers Flashcards
Autonomous robots are defined as …. that are capable of operating without … for …. periods of time in a partially …. environment.
systems; human intervention; prolonged; unknown
Can robots have a physical body?
Yes
What are the 3 main parts of a robot’s body?
Actuators, sensors, brain
How do you define the state of an actuator in a particular moment?
An action
Give an example of an actuator
Electrical motor
How do you define the state of a sensor in a particular moment?
Observation
Give an example of an “internal” sensor
Sensor that records speed of wheels, voltage of the battery, etc..
Give an example of an “external” sensor
Any sensor that picks up continuous signal from the outside world
i.e., contact sensors, distance sensors, cameras
Are sensors only passive? Or can they also be active?
They can be both
A robots’ brain..
A. determines the behavior of the robot
B. contributes to determine the behavior of the robot
B. Contributes to determine the behavior of the robot
The behavior of the robot is the result of … and … interaction, orchestrated by the …
robot; environment; brain
Compliance
ability of the body to spontaneously adapt its shape
A robot is situated in a … and … environment
physical; social environment
3 main types of approaches in robotics
Deliberative, Behavior-based, Adaptive
In a deliberative approach…
robots elaborate a mental solution (plan) and then execute the actions to form the plan.
keyword: easiest mode, planning
In a behavior-based approach…
- robots do not have an internal representation of the world
- they do not simulate before acting
- act based on current and previous observations
- they are embodied systems
keywords: embodied, no internal representations, only learn from current and previous observations
In an adaptive approach…
the robot performs a task autonomously, interacting with its environment, through evolutionary and/or learning processes.
keywords: model free, minimal human intervention
An excitatory wire in a Braitenberg vehicle…
will increase the speed of the motor as it is activated
An inhibitory wire in a Braitenberg vehicle…
will decrease the speed of the motor as it is activated
Conductivity of the wires is defined as…
the intensity of the effect of excitatory and inhibitory wires
Given two types of sensors:
- excitatory infrared for obstacle avoidance
- excitatory light sensor
and given that the infrared wires have more conductivity than the light wires…
if the robot has to pick between avoiding an obstacle or following a light, what will it prioritize?
A. the light
B. the obstacle
C. it will attempt both, since conductivity does not affect behavior selection
B - the obstacle
The subsumption method (SM) introduced by Brooks…
decomposes the complete behavior of a robot into sub-behaviors. These sub-behaviors are organized into a hierarchy of layers. Each layer implements a particular level of behavioral competence, and higher levels are able to subsume lower levels (= integrate/combine lower levels to a more comprehensive whole) in order to create viable behavior.
example: a robot’s lowest layer could be “avoid an object”. The second layer would be “wander around”, which runs beneath the third layer “explore the world”. Because a robot must have the ability to “avoid objects” in order to “wander around” effectively, the subsumption architecture creates a system in which the higher layers utilize the lower-level competencies.
The Subsumption Method is more linked to…
A. Deliberate-based robots
B. Behavior-based robots
C. Adaptive-based robots
B. Behavior-based robots
The Subsumption Method states that…
A. only lower layers representing more simple behaviors receive sensory information
B. only higher layers representing more complex behaviors receive sensory information
C. all layers receive sensory information
C. all layers receive sensory information
Can robots display purposeful behaviors, i.e. behaviors allowing the achievement of a goal, without possessing any representation of their goal?
Yes, as Braitenberg vehicle for examples
T/F: characteristics of the environment co-determine the behavior produced by a robot
True
T/F: the complexity of the behavior produced by a robot cannot exceed the complexity of the robot’s brain
False
A fitness function is…
a criterion that rate with a scalar value to what extent a robot accomplishes the task
Proprioceptive
measures properties from the internal environment
Exteroceptive
measures properties from the external environment
