Communications of the ACM
A Robot Prepared For Self-Awareness
Researchers at Bielefeld University have developed an ambulatory robot with a rudimentary form of consciousness.
Credit: matteogagliardi.com
Hector is an ambulatory robot developed at Bielefeld University endowed with a rudimentary form of consciousness, and new research has yielded a software architecture that could enable Hector to perceive itself as others perceive it. "With this, he would have reflexive consciousness," says Bielefeld Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology professor Holk Cruse.
Cruse and fellow researcher Malte Schilling are exploring the extent to which higher-level mental states may emerge in Hector with this architecture, even though these characteristics were not embedded into the machine beforehand.
Software programs enable Hector to walk with an insect-like gait and potentially find a path to a distant target, while an expansion program gives it the ability to simulate imagined behavior to solve problems that stymie the other programs. Cruse and Schilling previously ascertained Hector's control system could adopt inner mental states to make goal-directed behavior possible, and how emotional traits may manifest in the system.
Their new research demonstrates the potential emergence of reflexive consciousness by having Hector observe its inner mental state to guide its actions, according to Schilling. "With our software expansion, the basic faculties are prepared so that Hector may also be able to assess the mental state of others," he says. "It may be able to sense other people's intentions or expectations and act accordingly."
From Bielefeld University
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