Patent ID: 6980956

Claim:
A mechanical device, characterized by comprising: drive means for performing a behavior; stimulus detection means for detecting a stimulus; storage means for storing a behavioral model prescribing a behavior; control means for controlling said drive means based on the behavioral model stored in said storage means; and changing means for changing the behavioral model based on a predetermined stimulus detected by said stimulus detection means; wherein said behavioral model is a probability automaton prescribed by a state corresponding to a behavior and a transition probability of the state; said changing means changes the transition probability P in the probability automaton by calculating a new transition probability P″ according to the following transition probability equations; wherein the transition probability is multiplied by an improvement ratio L 1 if the stimulus detected by said stimulus detection means is evaluated as being good P″=P× (1 +L 1 ) (where 0<L 1 <1) and by a lowering ratio L 2 if the stimulus is evaluated as not being good P″=P×L 2 (where 0<L 2 <1).