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rlm@302
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1 Dear Professor Winston,
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rlm@302
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2
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rlm@305
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3 I've finished the first part of my project, building a framework for
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4 virtual sensate creatures; I would like your help evaluating what I've
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rlm@305
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5 done so far, and deciding what to do next.
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rlm@302
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6
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rlm@305
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7 For the work I've done so far, I compiled the results into short
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rlm@305
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8 articles that explain how I implemented each sense, with videos that
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9 show each sense in action. Please look through the articles, in
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10 particular the video showcase, and tell me what you think.
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rlm@302
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11
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12 Video Showcase : http://aurellem.localhost/cortex/org/cover.html
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13
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14 Introduction:
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15 http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/intro.html
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16 http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/sense.html
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17
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18 Physical Bodies : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/body.html
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19 Vision : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/vision.html
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20 Hearing : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/hearing.html
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21 Touch : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/touch.html
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22 Proprioception : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/proprioception.html
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23 Muscles : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/movement.html
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24 Full Demonstration : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/integration.html
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25
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26 I think this work could be a fruitful foundation for a Master's
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27 thesis, so in particular, I'd like critiques, suggestions, and project
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28 ideas. For example, here are some projects I think would be worthy, in
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29 increasing order of complexity:
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30
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31 * Create a self-powered joint that can determine its range of
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32 motion and joint type (hinge, cone, point-to-point, etc.) by
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33 making exploratory muscle movements and observing their effect.
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34
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35 * Develop an agent that writes and debugs low-level motor control
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36 programs to achieve simple goals like "look at the light" or
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37 "extend all of your fingers". These simple "calisthenic"
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38 programs could then be combined to form more elaborate
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39 procedures of motion, which in turn could be the basic
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40 instinctive reflexes in the "spinal cord" of some more advanced
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41 creature. (like Sussman's HACKER program but in a richer world)
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42
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43 * Program a group of creatures that cooperate with each
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44 other. Because the creatures would be simulated, I could
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45 investigate computationally complex rules of behavior which
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46 still, from the group's point of view, would happen in "real
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47 time". Interactions could be as simple as cellular organisms
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48 communicating via flashing lights, or as complex as humanoids
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49 completing social tasks, etc.
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50
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51 * Simulated Imagination -- this would involve a creature with an
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52 effector which creates an entire new sub-simulation where the
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53 creature has direct control over placement/creation of objects
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54 via simulated telekinesis. The creature observes this sub-world
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55 through it's normal senses and uses its observations to make
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56 predictions about it's top level world.
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57
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58 * Integrate the simulated world with Genesis, so that Genesis
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59 could use the simulated world to answer questions about a
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60 proposed physical scenario. For example "You stack two blocks
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61 together, then hit the bottom block with your hand. Does the top
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62 block move?". This project is complicated and very large in
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63 scope, but it could be narrowed to focus on a single key
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64 aspect. For example, one key aspect of turning a scenario into a
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65 simulation is knowing when you're constructing "typical" or
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66 "atypical" examples of the scenario. So, a narrower project
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67 might simply learn about the edge cases of different scenarios
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68 (e.g. "A block stacked on top of another block is usually
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69 stable, provided the bottom block is large enough, and is not
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70 moving, and is level, etc."). With this knowledge, this kind of
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71 program could aid Genesis not only in answering common-sense
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72 questions, but in refining them: "A block is stacked on top of
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73 another block. Is it stable?"; "Usually, but do you know if the
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74 bottom block is slanted?", etc.
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75
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76 These are some ideas, but I think you can come up with better ones. I
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77 can't wait to hear your critiques and suggestions.
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78
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79 Finally, regarding next year at MIT, can I be considered for the
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80 position of TA for 6.034 or 6.xxx? Also, do you want me to return Fall
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81 or Summer?
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82
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83 Sincerely,
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84
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85 --Robert McIntyre
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