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Also, the reverse of this is true: if the vehicle is set up
to slow down in warm water, it will speed in cold water.
This vehicle presents a rather unintelligent object
that reacts in a predictable pattern. As of yet, there is
nothing spontaneous or even remarkable about its abilities.
Giving the Vehicle a Sense of Direction
A similar engine and sensor are added to the vehicle.
By wiring up the motors so that the right motor runs in fast
mode when a good stimulus is on the left, the vehicle will
steer itself towards the favourable stimulus. This is the
method used to steer bulldozers, as well as other "tracked"
vehicles. (See fig. XX.)
Basic Steering in a Two Motor - Two Speed Vehicle
Fast Engine Speed Slow Engine Speed
In vehicle A, the left motor is running at the slower speed
while the right motor is at the higher speed. This will cause
the vehicle to travel in a leftward direction. The reverse is
true for vehicle B, which will travel to the right.
Vehicle A Vehicle B
Figure XX. Basic Steering in a Two Motor - Two Speed Vehicle
(c)1993 PC Scavenger. Used by permission
This modification simply gives the vehicle a method of
reaching favourable places, and fleeing from aversions.
Such a vehicle might appear to decide that it must stay out
of warm water and remain in the cold. Its reactions to each
condition are very mechanical, however.
Endowment of Several Senses
Next step, several new sensory pairs are added to the
original set of senses, along with corrosponding reactions.
If three signals tell an engine to go fast, and one
signal does not say to go fast, then the engine will receive
3/4 of the total power is capable of receiving, and
therefore will drive at 3/4 its total speed. Because the
program is set up so that the opposite engine receives the
opposite signal, 1/4 of the total power it is capable of
receiving will be sent, and cause it to go 1/4 its total
speed. The sum of these reactions will cause the vehicle to
turn slightly in one direction.
The vehicles mentioned for this experiment will be
fairly basic, and start off with only four senses. They
will be able to sense and react in one of two ways to heat,
light, water depth, and sound.
Perhaps a vehicle is built to drive towards the heat,
bright light, shallow water and loud sounds. Seeing it in
action, one may decide that this vehicle requires the heat,
light, shallow water and loud sounds. This vehicle seems
somewhat outgoing and friendly. It may even begin to remind
its creator of him or herself. Yes, it is unmistakable:
with little alteration, a vehicle like this would enjoy a
day of rock and roll at the beach!
Another vehicle could be built in such a way that it
drives away from warm areas, towards bright light, towards
deep water and away from loud sounds. It is natural to
imagine that this vehicle is drawn to colder water, does not
like the dark, and requires silence. This vehicle may
almost frighten its creator, being so similar to the folks
next door. The vehicle seems likely to be way out there
fishing on the cooler days, but otherwise is likely to sit
around home complaining that it's too hot, and scream
incessantly about the loud music the other vehicles are
always playing.
Many other sensory receptors may be encorporated to
detect such things as the colour red, the direction of water
flow, the smell of peanut butter, the saltiness of water,
purity of the air, or anything else imaginable. Any senses
that may be added to the vehicle will lend themselves well
to this sort of study. In fact, the more senses that are
incorporated, the more interesting and autonomous the
vehicle will seem.
Variable Sensitivity
A vehicle that is only able to react with one of two
states to a stimulus presents a very banal instinctual being
within the context of programmed reactions. The reason for
this clause is that the vehicle will only react in one
manner to a given stimulus: an instinct. According to
Random House Webster's, instinct is:
"...an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to
action common to a given species"68
By employing a rank-order system within the
sensitivity of the sensor directly proportionate to the
strength and distance of the stimulus, and by giving the
vehicle direction and speed capabilities, behavioural
patterns begin to emerge, such as reason, judgement and
deliberation.
Reason:
1. a basis or cause, as for some belief,
action, fact, or event.
...
3. the mental powers concerned with forming
conclusions, judgments, or inferences.
4. sound judgment; good sense.
...
7. Philos.
a. the faculty or power of acquiring
intellectual knowledge, either by
direct understanding of first
principles or by argument.
b. the power of intelligent and
dispassionate thought, or of
conduct influenced by such thought.69
68
Websters Dictionary, College Edition., Random House, 1992
69
Ibid
With this infinitely variable sensitivity, the vehicle
may execute degrees of reactions (for example: it may travel
fastest in boiling water, normal speed in warm water, but
completely stop - hybernate? - in cold water), each of which
correlates variably with the relative distance/strength of
one of the aforementioned sensory attributes.
This works basically the same as the volume knob on a
radio. The more the knob is turned in a clockwise
direction, the louder the music becomes. Counter-clockwise
turning of the knob would produce a quieter sound. And
there is a maximum direction the knob can be turned in
either direction.
If a vehicle senses something warmer on its left side
than on its right, it may be drawn more to the left, and
appear more interested in what was in that direction.
An interesting event occurs once a vehicle is able to
respond variably to its surrounding. Where at one point it
was an easy task to determine what motivates its reactions,
it now becomes less "instinctual" and more "preferential".
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