Critical Brains for Autonomous Robots

Presenter

Dr. J. Michael HerrmannUniversity of Edinburgh,School of Informatics andEdinburgh Centre for Robotics

April 11, 2018(Wed.)3B204

13:45 - 15:45Date & Time

Venue

2018 第 1 回　EMP セミナーシリーズ　

P r o g r a m f o r L e a d i n g G r a d u a t e S c h o o l sH e l d b y P h . D . P r o g r a m i n E m p o w e r m e n t I n f o r m a t i c s & D e p a r t m e n t o f C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e s ( G r a d u a t e S c h o o l o f S I E )H o s t : K o S a k a i , P r o f e s s o r ( F a c u l t y o f E n g i n e e r i n g , I n f o r m a t i o n a n d S y s t e m s )

2018 The 1st Meeting of EMP Seminar Series　共催：システム情報工学研究科　コンピューターサイエンス専攻

Self-organized criticality, according to Per Bak (1996), describes the way how nature works. While this is an intriguing perspective in the sciences, it is considered here as an interesting approach to robotics. In the talk, we will discuss benefits of critical dynamics in robotics and in particular behavioural optimisation, self-motivated learning and seamless interaction. We start by reviewing critical networks in real neutral systems and move on to embedded robots, applications in prosthetics and the generation of complex behaviour in robot swarms. While there examples might be sufficient to make a case for critical robots, it will also become clear that this approach is yet to realise its full potential. Currently problems are often due to the fact that robots usually have to serve a specific purpose, which is at odds with the exploratory nature of critical dynamics. As a solution, we present the concept of guided self-organisation which can reconcile criticality-derivered flexibility and the goal-directedness required in robotic applications.