Subject: Humanoid Robot Demonstration
Lift the ban on this topic: June 24, 1999, 13:00pm
Abstract:
The Kawato Dynamic Brain Project, ERATO, JST introduces the HUMANOIDROBOT,
a dextrous anthropomorphic robot that has the same kinematic structure as
the human body with 30 active degrees of freedom (without fingers). We
believe that employing a HUMANOID ROBOT is the first step towards a
complete understanding of high-level functions of the brain bymathematical
analysis.
For demonstration purposes, the HUMANOID ROBOT performs the Okinawa folk dance "Kacha-shi" and learns human-like eye movementsbased on neurobiological theories. It is noteworthy that the acquisition of the Okinawa folk dance was achieved based on "learning from demonstration", which is in sharp contrast to the classic approach of manual robot programming. Learning from demonstration means learning by watching a demonstration of a teacher performing the task. In our approach tolearning from demonstration, a reward function is learned from the demonstration, together with a task model that can be acquired from the repeated attempts to perform the task. Knowledge of the reward function and the taskmodels allows the robot to compute an appropriate control mechanism. Over thelast years, we have made significant progress in "learning fromdemonstration" such that we are able to apply the developed theories to the HUMANOID ROBOT. We believe that learning from demonstration will provide one ofthe most important footholds to understand the information processes of sensori-motor control and learning in the brain. We believe that the following three levels are essential for a complete understanding ofbrain functions: (a) hardware level; (b) information representation and algorithms; and (c) computational theory. We are studying high-level functions of the brain by utilizing multiple methods such as neurophysiological analysis of the Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum; psychophysical and behavioral analysis of visual motor learning; brain activity by fMRI study; mathematical analysis; computer simulation of neural networks, and robotics experiments using the HUMONOID ROBOT. For instance, in one of our approaches, we are trying to learn a NeuralNetwork Model for Motor Learning with the HUMANOID ROBOT that includes datafrom psychophysical and behavioral experiments as well as data from brain activity from fMRI studies. The HUMANOID ROBOT reproduces a learnedmodel in a real task, and we are able to verify the model by checking its robustness and performance. A lot of attention is being given on thestudy of brain functions using this new tool: the HUMANOID ROBOT. This shouldbe a first important step towards changing the future of brainscience.Date of press release: June 24, 1999