Artificial Intelligence Essays (959 words) - Humanoid Robots

Artificial Intelligence Essays (959 words) - Humanoid Robots Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence once something that people thought could only come out of science fiction novels and movies. But today that could all change because of a robot called Cog. Cog is an artificial intelligence that it?s creators have given a body. He is the future of AI and a new beginning for the field. His creator , Rogney Brooks, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, thought of creating cog, from inspiration from an artificial intelligence that was depicted in the movie, "2001:A Space Odyssey." In the movie, Hal, the AI, controlled a large space craft. Instead of creating a brain in a box like in the movie, Rodney is putting the mind of a human into the body of a robot. Cog isn?t yet a true humanoid robot. Right now he is little more that a head, neck , shoulders, chest and waist. He is perched on a gray steel pedestal bolted to the floor of the Artificial intelligence lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Still no other machine has come closer to the humanoid robots of science fiction. Cog foreshadows the day in which robots will interact normally with us. Cog?s creators are trying to do just that. Cog is a very far cry from what HAL was thought, because he has some anatomy. HAL was just basically a brain in a box. What they are trying to accomplish with cog, is to equip a brain with a body, that has sensors so that it can learn about its environment on its own, much like a infant does. Creating a humanoid was a big leap for Brooks. His last venture in to the AI world made a big impression on the artificial-Intelligence community. He created small robots the scurried around like insects. It turns out though, that these small creatures have much in common with Cog. They both do no use the usual AI approach that most other Mobil robots use. These other robots, would have to carry a complete map of the world that the machine will encounter. That would work fine in the lab, Brooks reasoned, but what about the real world with it?s vast space and many unfamiliar obstacles. To over overcome this problem, Brooks programmed this little robots with so-called parallel behaviors. He didn?t need the all-encompassing maps others used, just simple leg routines, such as up-down and forward-back motions the operate in parallel. On the robot?s legs sensors warded of obstacles and triggered these behaviors like reflexes. These machines ran riot in the lab where gradua! te students built new obstacles courses for them every day. The insect like robots managed to conquer all. Cog represents the basic same principal, but a few steps beyond. Brooks plans to take Cog a long way. Right now , Cog is learning how to see, and relate what he sees to his head motion, to be able to know what motion in the world, and what is dew to his head movement. They are letting Cog learn by its self. There are also plans to make ears for cog so that he may learn to hear. They have all ready completed a poly styrene head that is complete with micro-phones and processors. The first step in teaching Cog to hear is to map sensor coordination between the eyes and ears. With the done, when cog hears a sound, he will point his eyes at it, and then if he sees motion, that will reinforce what he just heard with the coordination of the two. Sound will help cog figure out where to look, but he will also be able to separate sounds, like people can do at a noisy cocktail party. These senses will help it to be able to interact with its environment and learn about its own body. What it sees verses what it is doing. There are also plans to give Cog the ability to be able to reach out and touch someone. Right now he has no arms at all. He can lean forwards and sideways at the hips, and turn its head, but that is all at the moment. Williamson, a graduate student on the Cog team, is building Cog?s first arm as

Why Math Is Difficult - Math and Brain Types

Why Math Is Difficult - Math and Brain Types In 2005, Gallup conducted a poll that asked students to name the school subject that they considered to be the most difficult. Not surprisingly, mathematics came out on top of the difficulty chart. So what is it about math that makes it difficult? Have you ever wondered? Dictionary.com defines the word difficult as: â€Å"...not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully.† This definition gets to the crux of the problem when it comes to math, specifically the statement that a difficult task is one that is not â€Å"readily† done. The thing that makes math difficult for many students is that it takes patience and persistence. For many students, math is not something that comes intuitively or automatically - it takes plenty of  effort. It is a subject that sometimes requires students to devote lots and lots of time and energy. This means, for many, the problem has little to do with brainpower; it is mostly a matter of staying power. And since students dont make their own timelines when it comes to getting it, they can run out of time as the teacher moves on to the next topic. Math and Brain Types But there is also an element of brain-style in the big picture, according to many scientists. There will always be opposing views on any topic, and the process of human learning is subject to ongoing debate, just like any other topic. But many theorists believe that  people are wired with different math comprehension skills. According to some brain science scholars, logical, left-brain thinkers tend to understand things in  sequential bits, while  artistic, intuitive, right-brainers  are more global. They take in  a lot of information at one time and let it sink in.  So left-brain dominant students may grasp concepts quickly while right-brain dominant students don’t. To the right brain dominant student, that time-lapse can make them feel confused and behind. Math as a Cumulative Discipline Math know-how is cumulative, which means it works much like a stack of building blocks. You have to gain understanding in one area before you can effectively go on to â€Å"build upon† another area. Our first mathematical building blocks are established in primary school when we learn rules for addition and multiplication, and those first concepts comprise our foundation. The next building blocks come in middle school when students first learn about formulas and operations. This information has to sink in and become â€Å"firm† before students can move on to enlarge this framework of knowledge. The big problem starts to appear sometime between middle school and high school because students very often move on to a new grade or new subject before they’re really ready. Students who earn a â€Å"C† in middle school have absorbed and understood about half of what they should, but they move on anyway. They move on or are moved on, because They think a C is good enough.Parents don’t realize that moving on without a full understanding poses a big problem for high school and college.Teachers don’t have time and energy enough to ensure that every single student understands every single concept. So students move to the next level with a really shaky foundation. The outcome of any shaky foundation is that there will be a serious limitation when it comes to building and real potential for complete failure at some point. The lesson here? Any student who receives a C in a math class should review heavily to make sure to pick up concepts theyll need later. In fact, it  is smart to hire a tutor to help you review any time you find that youve struggled in a math class! Making Math Less Difficult We have established a few things when it comes to math and difficulty: Math seems difficult because it takes time and energy.Many people dont experience sufficient time to get math lessons, and they fall behind as the teacher moves on.Many move on to study more complex concepts with a shaky foundation.We often end up with a weak structure that is doomed to collapse at some point. Although this may sound like bad news, it is really good news. The fix is pretty easy if we’re patient enough! No matter where you are in your math studies, you can excel if you backtrack far enough to reinforce your foundation. You must fill in the holes with a deep understanding of the basic concepts you encountered in middle school math. If you’re in middle school right now, do not attempt to move on until you understand pre-algebra concepts fully. Get a tutor if necessary.If you’re in high school and struggling with math, download a middle school math syllabus or hire a tutor. Make sure you understand every single concept and activity that is covered in middle grades.If you’re in college, backtrack all the way to basic math and work forward. This won’t take as long as it sounds. You can work forward through years of math in a week or two. No matter where you start and where you struggle, you must make sure you acknowledge any weak spots in your foundation and fill the holes with practice and understanding!