CAREER: Discovering Theoretical Entities

该项目的目标是开发算法，使机器人能够发现理论实体--即无法直接感知的环境的因果相关特征。PI开发的算法将使机器人有可能通过发现力和质量等理论实体来扩大它们对周围世界的理解和控制，就像人类科学家所做的那样。这个项目还旨在阐明人类认知，特别是关于我们是如何获得基本概念的。贝叶斯模型合并将用于学习机器人环境的模型。行动结果中的非决定论表明理论实体的存在，而假设的理论实体之间的相互信息表明，单个实体解释了观察到的非决定论，并验证了其因果效力。这项工作将在三个领域进行评估：(1)具有真实物理特性的模拟机器人；(2)铝冶炼厂的过程控制；(3)视觉目标识别。该项目将使机器人有可能超越“感知的面纱”，克服其感官系统的局限性(就像人类所做的那样)，并更好地理解、预测和控制他们的环境。将这些算法应用到铝冶炼过程中，将导致能源消耗和温室气体排放的减少。计划的教育活动包括与女性和少数族裔本科生合作，教授一次关于科学方法的新生研讨会，以及开发一门新的研究生级别的机器人课程。

The goal of this project is to develop algorithms that will allow robots to discover theoretical entities -- that is, causally relevant features of the environment that cannot be sensed directly. The algorithms developed by the PI will make it possible for robots to expand their understanding and control of the world around them by discovering theoretical entities, such as force and mass, in much the same way as human scientists do. This project also aims to shed light on human cognition, particularly about how we acquire foundational concepts. Bayesian Model Merging will be used to learn a model of the robot's environment. Non-determinism in action outcomes indicates the existence of theoretical entities, and mutual information among posited theoretical entities suggests that a single entity explains observed non-determinism and validates its causal efficacy. This work will be evaluated in three domains: (1) a simulated robot with realistic physics, (2) process control in an aluminum smelting plant, and (3) visual object recognition. This project will make it possible for robots to see beyond the "veil of perception", to overcome limitations of their sensory systems (as humans have), and to better understand, predict, and control their environments. In applying these algorithms to the aluminum smelting process, it will lead to reductions in energy consumption and production of greenhouse gases. Planned educational activities include working with female and minority undergraduate students, teaching a freshman seminar on the scientific method, and development of a new graduate-level course in robotics.