Humanoid Robot Demonstration

[Tomohiro Shibata]

The home page presenting information of a humanoid robot that we
developed is available online at
	http://www.erato.atr.co.jp/DB/

The following draft is what we used for the press release 
on June 24, 1999. 

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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 HUMANOID ROBOT,
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 by mathematical
analysis. For demonstration purposes, the HUMANOID ROBOT performs the
Okinawa folk dance "Kacha-shi" and learns human-like eye movements based 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 to learning
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 task models
allows the robot to compute an appropriate control mechanism. Over the last
years, we have made significant progress in "learning from demonstration"
such that we are able to apply the developed theories to the HUMANOID
ROBOT. We believe that learning from demonstration will provide one of the
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 of brain
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 Neural Network
Model for Motor Learning with the HUMANOID ROBOT that includes data from
psychophysical and behavioral experiments as well as data from brain
activity from fMRI studies. The HUMANOID ROBOT reproduces a learned model
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 the study
of brain functions using this new tool: the HUMANOID ROBOT. This should be
a first important step towards changing the future of brain science.Date of
press release: June 24, 1999

Organizer: JST
Host Organizer: STA
Style: Material along with lecture, videotape, and demonstration
Place: Experiment room of the Kawato Dynamic Brain Project, Kyoto
Chairman: Mitsuo Kawato, Project Director (one hour including questions.)

--
SHIBATA, Tomohiro, Ph.D.     | email:  tom at erato.atr.co.jp
Kawato Dynamic Brain Project | WWW:    http://www.erato.atr.co.jp/~tom
ERATO                        | Robotics in Japan page: 
JST                          |  http://www.erato.atr.co.jp/~tom/jrobres.html