Artificial
Artifact Intelligence:
Yet Another Approach for Intelligent Robots
Hideaki Takeda
National Institute of Informatics
andThe Graduate University for Advanced Studies
2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku
101-8430 Tokyo, Japan
E-mail takeda@nii.ac.jp

Kazunori Terada
Gifu University
Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
E-mail terada@info.gifu-u.ac.jp

Tatsuyuki Kawamura
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma,
630-0101 Nara, Japan
E-mail tatsu-k@aist-nara.ac.jp
Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Directions for intelligent robotsz

Humanoid or life-like robots
 Forms and functions are irrelevant or even interfere with each other Form follows function
 Functions for lives are all about survival of lives!
 Forms should be similar to lives
But ..
 The current technologies cannot realize all the functions
 Form cannot follow function!
 Functions are ill-defined The ideal function for lives is “survival instinct”
 Definitions for practical functions are therefore always insufficient.

Function >>Intelligence

Form
Lives

FunctionIntelligence=Form
Life-like robots

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

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Directions for intelligent robotszIntelligent artifacts
 Clear functions
 Artifacts should have their own purpose of existence that aregiven by designers and users
 Functions just for forms, Forms just for functions
 We can use form of artifacts as base for realizing functions

Function >>FunctionIntelligenceIntelligence>>

Form
Lives

Form

Intelligent Artifacts

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Different Approaches for Intelligencezz

Artificial Intelligence (+ Mechatronics)
 Too highly intelligent!
 Difficulty to ground Intelligence to the body
Biology-inspired or behavior-based robots
 Still too highly intelligent
 Mimic to lives in functions and bodies
Artifact Intelligence Intelligence just enough to body bodies not mimic to lives Coupling functions and bodies iscrucial
 Intelligence to realize functions given as
human intention
 cf. instinct
 Human interaction is indispensable

Human being

Complexity of intelligencez(ideal) Humanoid

B(Current) Humanoid

C(Current) Animal-like robot

AD(Current) Toy robot

Complexity of body

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

2Requirements for artifact intelligence
HumanThe basic requirements for artifact
intelligence
Intention
 Coupling functions and bodies iscrucialBody Human interaction is indispensablez We can re-address the above issues asestablishment for physical and intentional
relationship between artifacts andhumans

Artifact

zRole

Intentional/PhysicalRelationship

Body

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Affordance for ArtifactszAffordance
 affordance refers to the possibilities
for the action available in theenvironment or the object, and it isrevealed by interaction between thehuman and the environment Gibson's affordance is passive forartefacts because it is uncertain untila particular interaction initiated byhumans is done

Artifact

Human

Intention

Intentional/PhysicalRelationship

Role

Affordance

Body

Body

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics3

Affordance for Artifacts
Human
Active Affordance Extension of affordance that is
Intention
realized by the artifact's action, while
affordance is realized by humanBody
actions
Humanz Emergent Affordance Interaction between humans andIntention
artifacts to find roles of artifacts
cooperatively
Body Artifacts should have an ability to findtheir roles with new environmentszArtifact

Intentional/Physical
Relationship

RoleActive Affordance

BodyArtifact

Intentional/PhysicalRelationship
EmergentAffordance

RoleBody

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

How to Realize Active Affordance?
A human action with an artifact needs specific contacts with eachotherEx.) Drinking water ⇒ a glass and a hand ⇒ Reaching a glass.
z Embodiment relation = relation between surfaces of human bodyand artifact’s bodyz Active affordance Artifact moving so that its body touches human appropriately.
 Contact with the specific parts of both surfacesz

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

4Affordance Distance
We focus on the contact state, i.e., terminal of action.
z Affordance distance :DzMaximum at the end of the task
 Reduces as the artifact goes away form contact state.
1
D=∑ dip1

p2
p3

d3

d1
d2 q1q 3 q2

Chair
The strategy of Active artifact;
It acts in order that D will be maximized.
Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Reinforcement learning approach
Learning of an optimal behavior through experience.
 Reward is given in goal state; contact state.
z Utility function
U ( s) ← R( s) + max ∑ M sa, s 'U ( s' )zas'Dynamic programmingz Optimal behavior
f ( s ) = arg max ∑ M sa, s 'U ( s ' )azs'Prior knowledge is not necessary.

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

5Modelingzyz

Top viewP( x p , y p )
5m

θp

θq

Environment 5m×5m
State space: Environment is divided into
50×50 grid (x, y, θ）…

Q( x q , y q )

10cm

…

5mx
Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Utility function
Goal(contact state): (40, 40, 0)

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

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Reinforcement learning approach (1)Initial State (1)Goal State

Initial State (1)Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Autonomous Mobile Chair
Magnetic sensor

Linux PC
Hideaki Takeda / National
Institute ofwheel
Informatics
Powered7

Autonomous Mobile Chair

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

Emergent Affordance
Artifact

Humanzz

Emergent Affordance: Discovery of roles of artifacts
via interaction with humans
 Roles of artifacts can be specified or found withusers
 e.g., a cup can be used as a paper weightrather than a drinking device
 Different human intention leads different roles ofintelligent artifacts
Realization of emergent affordance Interaction between Human action and artifact’saction
 Human actions tell human intention to the artifacts
 Artifacts reactions tell their interpretation of theintention under the roles and bodies

Intention
Actions

Body

Body

HumanArtifact

Intention

Role
Reactions

Body

Body

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

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AGENT BOX
A test case for emergent affordancez A box with a computer, and limited sensors and actuatorsz Selection of roles Semi-active interaction
 Interactive musical instrument
 relaxation chair
 Social interaction
 Synchronization: Concert with multiple agents
 Role cooperation:
zHideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

AGENT BOXzABox
 The first (incomplete) prototype for AgentBox
 Structure A personal computer Touch panels for surfacesz Sensing touching, hitting and stroking
 A speaker Functions
 Interactive musical instrumentz Interpretation of tempo
 (Relaxation chairz Interpretation of pressure)
Not implemented yet (Table)

Not implemented yet
Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

9AGENT BOX

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

AGENT BOX

Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

10Summary and Future WorkzzSummary Artifact Intelligence:
 A new direction forz Intelligence Researchz Artifact Designz Ubiquitous Computing or Disappearing Computers Affordance for artifact
 A basic theory for Artifact Intelligencez Active Affordancez Emergent Affordance
Future work
 More consideration for affordance for artifacts
 e.g., Consider implicit (unaware) communication
 More active artifacts!
Hideaki Takeda / National Institute of Informatics

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