Using Nintendo Wii remotes and a ball, members of the Brown Robotics Group are "teaching" robotic dogs to play soccer. The robots learn behavioral patterns that they will eventually be able to perform on their own, and data from the study could lead to the design of more intuitive and autonomous robots.
Since 2005, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Chad Jenkins has been working on the project, which tests the premise that robots can learn human behavior through direct interaction with humans better than by being explicitly programmed.
"The thing that really makes robotics useful, more than just having a computer that can move around, is the ability to manipulate the world," Jenkins said. He said he believes robots will eventually be able to do more complicated tasks - such as repair a car - but that robots first have to learn what people want them to do.
"It's really about how do we do something with this robot. I don't think we have a good hold on what people actually want to do with robots," Jenkins said.
The dogs are directed by Wii remotes - a new development this year that has allowed for more interaction between the humans and robots.
"We're getting closer and closer to getting the system online. It should be done in the next year or so," Jenkins said, adding that he would like to expose the program to the wider public so that it can "experience the robots firsthand."
"Maybe it (will) inspire new people to get into the field," he said.
