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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@325
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3 I've finished the first part of my project, building a
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rlm@325
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4 framework for virtual sensate creatures; I would like your
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rlm@325
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5 help evaluating what I've done so far, and deciding what to
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rlm@325
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6 do next.
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rlm@302
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7
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rlm@325
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8 For the work I've done so far, I compiled the results into
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rlm@325
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9 short articles that explain how I implemented each sense,
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10 with videos that show each sense in action. Please look
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rlm@325
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11 through the articles, in particular the video showcase, and
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12 tell me what you think.
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rlm@302
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13
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rlm@310
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14 Video Showcase : http://aurellem.org/cortex/org/cover.html
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15
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16 Introduction:
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17 http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/intro.html
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18 http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/sense.html
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19
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rlm@305
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20 Physical Bodies : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/body.html
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21 Vision : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/vision.html
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22 Hearing : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/hearing.html
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23 Touch : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/touch.html
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rlm@325
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24 Proprioception : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/proprioception.html
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rlm@305
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25 Muscles : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/movement.html
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26 Full Demonstration : http://aurellem.org/cortex/html/integration.html
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27
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28 I think this work could be a fruitful foundation for a
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29 Master's thesis, so in particular, I'd like critiques,
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30 suggestions, and project ideas. For example, here are some
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31 projects I think would be worthy, in increasing order of
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32 complexity:
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rlm@302
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33
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34 * Create a self-powered joint that can determine its
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35 range of motion and joint type (hinge, cone,
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36 point-to-point, etc.) by making exploratory muscle
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37 movements and observing their effect.
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38
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39 * Develop an agent that writes and debugs low-level
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40 motor control programs to achieve simple goals like
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41 "look at the light" or "extend all of your
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42 fingers". These simple "calisthenic" programs could
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43 then be combined to form more elaborate procedures of
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44 motion, which in turn could be the basic instinctive
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45 reflexes in the "spinal cord" of some more advanced
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46 creature. (like Sussman's HACKER program but in a
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47 richer world)
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48
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49 * Program a group of creatures that cooperate with each
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50 other. Because the creatures would be simulated, I
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51 could investigate computationally complex rules of
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52 behavior which still, from the group's point of view,
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53 would happen in "real time". Interactions could be as
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54 simple as cellular organisms communicating via
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55 flashing lights, or as complex as humanoids completing
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56 social tasks, etc.
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57
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58 * Simulated Imagination -- this would involve a creature
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59 with an effector which creates an entire new
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60 sub-simulation where the creature has direct control
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61 over placement/creation of objects via simulated
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62 telekinesis. The creature observes this sub-world
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63 through it's normal senses and uses its observations
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64 to make predictions about its top level world.
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65
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66 * Integrate the simulated world with Genesis, so that
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67 Genesis could use the simulated world to answer
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68 questions about a proposed physical scenario. For
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69 example "You stack two blocks together, then hit the
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70 bottom block with your hand. Does the top block
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71 move?". This project is complicated and very large in
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72 scope, but it could be narrowed to focus on a single
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73 key aspect. For example, one key aspect of turning a
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74 scenario into a simulation is knowing when you're
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75 constructing "typical" or "atypical" examples of the
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76 scenario. So, a narrower project might simply learn
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77 about the edge cases of different scenarios (e.g. "A
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78 block stacked on top of another block is usually
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79 stable, provided the bottom block is large enough, and
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80 is not moving, and is level, etc."). With this
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81 knowledge, this kind of program could aid Genesis not
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82 only in answering common-sense questions, but in
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83 refining them: "A block is stacked on top of another
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84 block. Is it stable?"; "Usually, but do you know if
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85 the bottom block is slanted?", etc.
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86
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87 These are some ideas, but I think you can come up with
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88 better ones. I can't wait to hear your critiques and
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89 suggestions.
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rlm@302
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90
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rlm@325
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91 Finally, regarding next year at MIT, can I be considered for
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rlm@325
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92 the position of TA for 6.034 or 6.xxx? Also, do you want me
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rlm@325
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93 to return to MIT at the beginning of Fall or at the
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94 beginning of Summer?
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rlm@302
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95
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rlm@305
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96 Sincerely,
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rlm@302
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97 --Robert McIntyre
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