Tech Log inEmailPassword Remember meYour login is case sensitive
I have forgotten my password
Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens logincloseMy New ScientistHomeNewsIn-Depth ArticlesBlogsOpinionTVGalleriesTopic GuidesLast WordSubscribeDatingLook for Science JobsSPACETECHENVIRONMENTHEALTHLIFEPHYSICS&MATHSCIENCE IN SOCIETYCookies & PrivacyHome|Tech|News
Boo! Robots learn to jump like frightened mammals28 August 2012 byDavid HamblingMagazine issue 2879. Subscribe and saveFor similar stories, visit theRobotsand The Human BrainTopic Guides ROBOTS developed in the safety of a laboratory can be too slow to react to the dangers of the real world. But software inspired by biology promises to give robots the equivalent of the mammalian amygdala, a part of the brain that responds quickly to threats. STARTLE, developed by Mike Hook and colleagues at Roke Manor Research of Romsey in Hampshire, UK, employs an artificial neural network to look out for abnormal or inconsistent data. Once it has been taught what is out of the ordinary, it can recognise dangers in the environment. For instance, from data fed by a robotic vehicle's on-board sensors, STARTLE could notice a pothole and pass a warning to the vehicle's control system to focus more computing resources on that part of the road. "If it sees something anomalous then investigative processing is cued; this allows us to use computationally expensive algorithms only when needed for assessing possible threats, rather than responding equally to everything," says Hook. This design mimics the amygdala, which provides a rapid response to threats. The amygdala helps small animals to deal with complex, fast-changing surroundings, allowing them to ignore most sensory stimuli. "The key is that it's for spotting anomalous conditions," says Hook, "not routine ones." STARTLE has been tested in both vehicle navigation and robot health monitoring. In the latter, it can be trained to respond to danger signs, such as sudden changes in battery power or temperature. It has also been tested in computer networks, as a way to detect security threats, having been trained to identify the pattern of activity associated with an attack. "A robot amygdala network could be useful," says neuroscientist Keith Kendrick of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu. "Such a low-resolution analysis will sometimes make mistakes, and you will avoid something needlessly." But a slower, high-resolution analysis is also carried out, he says, which can override the mistakes. Hooks says that STARTLE could be useful for any robots in complex environments. For example, a robot vehicle would be able to spot other drivers behaving erratically, a major challenge for conventional computing.
Subscribe to New Scientist and you'll get:New Scientist magazine delivered every weekUnlimited access to all New Scientist online content - a benefit only available to subscribersGreat savings from the normal priceSubscribe now!
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.Have your sayOnly subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
email:password:Remember meOnly personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
Subscribe now to comment.
I'll Bet He Doesn't KnowThu Aug 23 14:38:24 BST 2012 by Eric KvaalenDavid Hambling, how many amygdalas does a small animal have?
login and replyreport this commentI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowTue Aug 28 10:39:39 BST 2012 by OjiGosh. I wasn't expecting a such predictable comment from Eric.
login and replyreport this commentI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowTue Aug 28 19:22:24 BST 2012 by Eric KvaalenI'll bet that if it weren't for me, you wouldn't know either!
login and replyreport this commentI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowSat Sep 01 07:13:22 BST 2012 by bestmywatchhttp://www.topmywatch.net
Wonderful! This is our website:(Sales rolex watches, High-quality rolex watches,Top brand watches,all luxury watches for sale cheap and cheapest only $59 ,Buy cheap Swiss watches online at http://www.topmywatch.net.)
login and replyreport this commentview threadThis comment breached our terms of use and has been removed.
view threadI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowWed Aug 29 03:35:51 BST 2012 by DannMany parts of the brain are duplicated in the two hemispheres. Refering to them in the plural term would be redundant (and overly pedantic).
login and replyreport this commentI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowWed Aug 29 07:28:23 BST 2012 by Eric KvaalenYeah. Same for our eye, ear, hand, and foot.
login and replyreport this commentI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowThu Aug 30 03:19:25 BST 2012 by DannWe also talk about those singularly when refering to the biological structure in general. The bones of the hand. The evolution of the foot. The human eye. The inner ear.
login and replyreport this commentI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowThu Aug 30 06:23:37 BST 2012 by Eric KvaalenWell, if you said things like "The eye is a part of the head that responds to light" or "The ear helps animals to deal with their environment", then it would imply (at least to a Martian who hadn't seen a human) that we are like the Cyclops, with a symmetrical ear on the top of our head to boot. And since most humans have never seen anyone's amygdalas, they understand from sentences like those that we have only one.
Some people in the past have replied to my comments by trying to explain that our "two" amygdalae are just the two halves of one organ sitting in the middle of the brain. But that's not the case. This shows that the wrong idea is being conveyed by using the singular all the time.
It's not particularly relevant as far as robots go, and it depends how you view hemispheres -- but I'm sure you'll enlighten me.
login and replyreport this commentview threadI'll Bet He Doesn't KnowWed Aug 29 10:53:58 BST 2012 by OjiSurely you mean "how many amygdalae"?
Are you a neuroscientist?
Looking at the Wikipedia page, where many contributors appear to neuroscientists or other experts, it appears to switch randomly between singular and plural. Comments in the talk page (again, apparently from professionals in the field) suggest that these should generally be singular (apart from a few cases where it is necessary to be specific about plurality).
I know that it's not just New Scientist that follows this ridiculous practice. We don't talk like that for any other part of our body that we have two of -- only for amygdalas and hippocampi.
(I don't see why I should use the nominative plural rather than the accusative plural, which is the same as adding s to the singular,)
Oh, that's right. I remember now. You prefer to use non-standard language, even if it means no one can understand you, because it is more "logical".
Get over it. Language isn't logical
What did I say that no one can understand?
login and replyreport this comment4 more repliesview threadAll comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.
Eek! I'm outta here (Image: SuperStock)ADVERTISEMENTMoreLatest newsWaste water harnessed to make electricity and plastics
09:00 03 September 2012The treatment of waste water can be used to create energy and biodegradable plastics
Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls
16:41 31 August 2012Students learn best from a robot when it makes mistakes that they can correct
Bendy battery lets you wear gadgets' power supply
11:08 30 August 2012Flexible battery design lets you wear your gadget's power source on the wrist, neck or any part of the body you fancy
Let's get lost: Apps that help you wander to happiness
08:00 30 August 2012From GPS to book recommendations, technology is eradicating uncertainty from life. But what if happiness depends on taking chances?
see all related stories
MoreLatest newsMoon's magnetic umbrellas may shield future spaceships18:43 03 September 2012New insights into lunar anomalies could inspire deflector shields for spaceships that would protect astronauts against solar storms
Today on New Scientist: 3 September 201218:00 03 September 2012All today's stories on newscientist.com, including: stem cells return some feeling to paralysed patients, satellite images of Brazil's ravaged rainforests, the ultimate food scare, and more
Retracing the stardust trail17:34 03 September 2012In The Stardust Revolution, Jacob Berkowitz explains how stars have shaped the universe and asks if we may soon discover life outside the solar system
Brain diabetes: the ultimate food scare15:51 03 September 2012Big trouble lies ahead if Alzheimer's is proven to be a form of diabetes
see all latest news
Most readMost commented Epigenetics gives clues to human cancer susceptibility Two dead stars provide low-tech way to test Einstein Rosacea may be caused by mite faeces in your pores Mirrors take root in pitch-black nanotube forest Protein discovery could lead to 'genomic debuggers' Most readMost commented Fracking could be combined with carbon capture plans Rosacea may be caused by mite faeces in your pores Big burn theory: Why humans spontaneously combust
Bonobo genius makes stone tools like early humans did Food for thought: Eat your way to dementia TWITTERNew Scientist is on Twitter
Get the latest from New Scientist: sign up to our Twitter feed
LATEST JOBS PIC: Laboratory Technician SEC Recruitment: Senior Statistical Programmers | Perm | UK or Germany SEC Recruitment: Senior Lead Programmer |Germany |Global Company Meet Recruitment: Regulatory Affairs Publisher, Vienna Meet Recruitment: Fantastic Senior Regulatory Affairs function @ top Pharma, Berks/Bucks This week's issueSubscribe
For exclusive news and expert analysis, subscribe to New Scientist.
Gain full online accessCurrent issue contentContent of past issues01 September 2012ADVERTISEMENTBack to topLoginEmailPassword Remember meYour login is case sensitive
I have forgotten my password
Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens logincloseAbout usNew ScientistSyndicationRecruitment AdvertisingStaff at New ScientistAdvertiseRBI JobsUser HelpContact UsFAQ / HelpDisclaimerTs & CsCookiesPrivacy PolicySubscriptionsSubscribeRenewGift subscriptionMy accountBack issuesCustomer ServiceLinksSite MapBrowse all articlesMagazine archiveNewScientistJobsThe LastWordRSS FeedsOnline StoreAndroid AppMobile site homeScience JobsBiology JobsChemistry JobsClinical JobsSales JobsEarth & Environment JobsEngineering JobsMaths & IT JobsGraduate Jobs© Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.
No comments:
Post a Comment