167,933 research outputs found
Neural Network Memory Architectures for Autonomous Robot Navigation
This paper highlights the significance of including memory structures in
neural networks when the latter are used to learn perception-action loops for
autonomous robot navigation. Traditional navigation approaches rely on global
maps of the environment to overcome cul-de-sacs and plan feasible motions. Yet,
maintaining an accurate global map may be challenging in real-world settings. A
possible way to mitigate this limitation is to use learning techniques that
forgo hand-engineered map representations and infer appropriate control
responses directly from sensed information. An important but unexplored aspect
of such approaches is the effect of memory on their performance. This work is a
first thorough study of memory structures for deep-neural-network-based robot
navigation, and offers novel tools to train such networks from supervision and
quantify their ability to generalize to unseen scenarios. We analyze the
separation and generalization abilities of feedforward, long short-term memory,
and differentiable neural computer networks. We introduce a new method to
evaluate the generalization ability by estimating the VC-dimension of networks
with a final linear readout layer. We validate that the VC estimates are good
predictors of actual test performance. The reported method can be applied to
deep learning problems beyond robotics
The Effects of Finger-Walking in Place (FWIP) on Spatial Knowledge Acquisition in Virtual Environments
Spatial knowledge, necessary for efficient navigation, comprises route knowledge (memory of landmarks along a route) and survey knowledge (overall representation like a map). Virtual environments (VEs) have been suggested as a power tool for understanding some issues associated with human navigation, such as spatial knowledge acquisition. The Finger-Walking-in-Place (FWIP) interaction technique is a locomotion technique for navigation tasks in immersive virtual environments (IVEs). The FWIP was designed to map a human’s embodied ability overlearned by natural walking for navigation, to finger-based interaction technique. Its implementation on Lemur and iPhone/iPod Touch devices was evaluated in our previous studies. In this paper, we present a comparative study of the joystick’s flying technique versus the FWIP. Our experiment results show that the FWIP results in better performance than the joystick’s flying for route knowledge acquisition in our maze navigation tasks
Design of a multiple bloom filter for distributed navigation routing
Unmanned navigation of vehicles and mobile robots can be greatly simplified by providing environmental intelligence with dispersed wireless sensors. The wireless sensors can work as active landmarks for vehicle localization and routing. However, wireless sensors are often resource scarce and require a resource-saving design. In this paper, a multiple Bloom-filter scheme is proposed to compress a global routing table for a wireless sensor. It is used as a lookup table for routing a vehicle to any destination but requires significantly less memory space and search effort. An error-expectation-based design for a multiple Bloom filter is proposed as an improvement to the conventional false-positive-rate-based design. The new design is shown to provide an equal relative error expectation for all branched paths, which ensures a better network load balance and uses less memory space. The scheme is implemented in a project for wheelchair navigation using wireless camera motes. © 2013 IEEE
Moth-inspired navigation algorithm in a turbulent odor plume from a pulsating source
Some female moths attract male moths by emitting series of pulses of
pheromone filaments propagating downwind. The turbulent nature of the wind
creates a complex flow environment, and causes the filaments to propagate in
the form of patches with varying concentration distributions. Inspired by moth
navigation capabilities, we propose a navigation strategy that enables a flier
to locate a pulsating odor source in a windy environment using a single
threshold-based detection sensor. The strategy is constructed based on the
physical properties of the turbulent flow carrying discrete puffs of odor and
does not involve learning, memory, complex decision making or statistical
methods. We suggest that in turbulent plumes from a pulsating point source, an
instantaneously measurable quantity referred as a "puff crossing time",
improves the success rate as compared to the navigation strategy based on
"internal counter" that does not use this information. Using computer
simulations of fliers navigating in turbulent plumes of the pulsating point
source for varying flow parameters: turbulent intensities, plume meandering and
wind gusts, we obtained trajectories qualitatively resembling male moths
flights towards the pheromone sources. We quantified the probability of a
successful navigation as well as the flight parameters such as the time spent
searching and the total flight time, with respect to different turbulent
intensities, meandering or gusts. The concepts learned using this model may
help to design odor-based navigation of miniature airborne autonomous vehicles
Trails of experiences: Navigating personal memories
Systems to augment personal information aim to support people in remembering both past experiences and specific information associated with past experiences. These types of information go beyond those supported in systems for Personal Information Management, making it necessary to develop new user interface and interaction techniques. Our approach is based on characteristics of human memory. Its major contribution is the combination of a graph-based data model with navigation mechanisms based on various types of context and on associations
Closed-Loop Targeted Memory Reactivation during Sleep Improves Spatial Navigation
Sounds associated with newly learned information that are replayed during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep can improve recall in simple tasks. The mechanism for this improvement is presumed to be reactivation of the newly learned memory during sleep when consolidation takes place. We have developed an EEG-based closed-loop system to precisely deliver sensory stimulation at the time of down-state to up-state transitions during NREM sleep. Here, we demonstrate that applying this technology to participants performing a realistic navigation task in virtual reality results in a significant improvement in navigation efficiency after sleep that is accompanied by increases in the spectral power especially in the fast (12\u201315 Hz) sleep spindle band. Our results show promise for the application of sleep-based interventions to drive improvement in real-world tasks
Microtransformers: controlled microscale navigation with flexible robots
Artificial microswimmers are a new technology with promising microfluidics
and biomedical applications, such as directed cargo transport, microscale
assembly, and targeted drug delivery. A fundamental barrier to realising this
potential is the ability to control the trajectories of multiple individuals
within a large group. A promising navigation mechanism for "fuel-based"
microswimmers, for example autophoretic Janus particles, entails modulating the
local environment to guide the swimmer, for instance by etching grooves in
microchannels. However, such techniques are currently limited to bulk guidance.
This paper will argue that by manufacturing microswimmers from phoretic
filaments of flexible shape-memory polymer, elastic transformations can
modulate swimming behaviour, allowing precision navigation of selected
individuals within a group through complex environments
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