Modelização do integrador do agente CAMBADA

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaNo âmbito do projecto CAMBADA, do qual o DETI/UA (Departamento de Electrónica, Telemática e Informática da Universidade de Aveiro) é parceiro, surge a necessidade de analisar e produzir uma estrutura modelar para o integrador que incorpora o agente CAMBADA. O principal objectivo desta dissertação é dotar o integrador de um modelo fácil de compreender, de rápida evolução e simples implementação no desenvolvimento de novos conceitos. A equipa CAMBADA já possui uma estrutura bem definida para o agente que controla os seus robôs, de tal forma que a necessidade de o manter funcional e munido das suas capacidades é algo inevitável. Assim sendo, o integrador deste agente deixou de ser um módulo extenso, interdependente nas suas responsabilidades e de edição complexa, para se tornar num módulo que obedece a um modelo simples e de fácil edição. O módulo integrador é um dos importantes componentes que integra o agente CAMBADA, já que é o módulo com a responsabilidade de integrar toda a informação referente ao robô e ao estado do mundo que o rodeia. Um módulo complexo, mas fundamental para o bom funcionamento do robô e para o sucesso nas tomadas de decisão durante um jogo. O projecto de modelizar o integrador do agente CAMBADA incide no trabalho subjacente a esta dissertação, que consistiu essencialmente numa primeira análise laboriosa do integrador existente e posteriormente na criação de uma estrutura completamente nova e modelada, que é suportada por um modelo alicerçado em interfaces que dividem a complexidade da integração nas diversas áreas sensoriais que o robô CAMBADA incorpora. Nesse sentido, o novo modelo é constituído por módulos independentes para a integração da informação relativa à bola e ao robô, já que a informação relativa aos obstáculos, ao estado do jogo e ao baixo nível é integrada como anteriormente no módulo principal de integração. Foram exploradas formas de filtragem assentes no uso de filtros de Kalman e de Partículas, para as observações referentes às amostras usadas no cálculo da posição e velocidade da bola de jogo. O objectivo principal deste trabalho foi cumprido, já que foi evidente a melhoria que o novo modelo trouxe ao módulo de integração do agente CAMBADA. Quanto à implementação dos novos métodos de filtragem segundo o uso dos filtros estudados, não produziram o resultado esperado, uma vez que não trouxeram uma melhoria significativa à precisão dos dados obtidos do mundo. Contudo, serviram para demonstrar o quão importante é o novo modelo, porque possibilitou a integração de novas implementações sem a necessidade de alterar o integrador.In the context of the CAMBADA project, in which the DETI/UA (Department of Electronics, Telematics and Informatics, University of Aveiro) is a partner, there is the need to analyze and produce an improved model structure for the integrator that incorporates the CAMBADA agent. The objective of this dissertation is to provide an integrator model that is easy to understand, allows rapid evolution and where it is simple to implement new concepts of development. The CAMBADA team already has a well-defined structure for the agent that controls the robots, hence, they need to maintain functional and equipped their capabilities. The integrator of this agent has changed from an extensive, interdependent in their responsibilities and complex module to become a module that follows a simple model and is easy to edit. The integrator module is one of the important components that integrates the agent CAMBADA, since it is the module with the responsibility to integrate all of the information on the robot and on the state of the world that surrounds it. A complex module, but it is essential for the proper functioning of the robot and the success in decision-making during a game. The new model of the CAMBADA agent integrator was specified and implemented in this dissertation work. First, a laborious analysis of the existing integrator was performed and subsequently the creation of a completely new and modeled structure which houses grounded model interfaces which divide the complexity of integrating the various sensory areas that incorporates CAMBADA robot was achieved. In this sense, the new model consists of independent modules for the integration of information on the ball and the robot. Information concerning obstacles and the state of the game at the lower level is integrated as before in the main module integration. Forms of filtering based on the use of Kalman and Particle filters, for observations relating to the samples used to calculate the position and velocity of the game ball were explored. The main objective of this work was completed. There is an evident improvement with the new model brought to the integration of CAMBADA agent module. The implementation of new methods of filtering using the filter according to the study did not produce the expected results, since it did not bring a significant improvement in the accuracy of the data obtained from the world. However it served to demonstrate how important the new model is, because it allowed the new implementations of integration, without the need to change the integrator

The Almost People: A framework proposal for the balancing of legal interests in the age of social robots.

Robots, which were seen as gimmicks in science fiction stories until not so long ago, have already crossed into reality. Thanks to the ever-growing autonomy of robots and ever-expanding variety of roles assigned to them, they are becoming more integrated into the ordinary course of everyday life. With the advent of social robots that can engage human beings on personal levels, for the first time, non-human entities are emerging as social interaction partners. In that regard, from the legal perspective, it is no longer possible to treat them as mere tools. The autonomy of robots is expected to have significant impacts on various interests recognised by the legal principles that underlie existing legal instruments. However, almost none of the existing legal instruments were developed in consideration of the implications of robots' emerging roles as independent social actors. On explaining the inadequacy of existing legal instruments, I outline the prospect of a paradigm shift in the law's approach to human-robot social interactions. A comparative analysis of German, Italian, and Irish legal systems -selected to represent the EU's diverse legal families- demonstrates that robots' autonomous behaviours and emerging roles as social interaction partners are likely to undermine the legal principles expressed most notably in the domains of private law (contract law and tort law) and criminal law. The conceptual deconstruction of existing legal instruments offered by these domains reveals that legal systems overlook the characteristics of social robots that set them apart from other artefacts, namely, their relative autonomy and social agency. These distinctive characteristics allow robots to perform unpredictable behaviours and to prompt human beings they interact with to anthropomorphise them. Overlooking these characteristics diminishes the adequacy of existing legal instruments Ultimately, I conclude that the shortcomings of contemporary legal systems can be overcome by creating a new, unified legal framework that would enable the law to respond to the legal implications of robot autonomy and the phenomenon of robot anthropomorphism