NOMAD - The Thinking Robot

NOMAD's behavior is controlled by the activity of its simulated brain cells, allowing researchers a unique window into how the human brain works and how brain mechanisms produce the range of behaviors associated with higher brain functions. NOMAD can interact with its environment by sensing light and taste and by moving around and grabbing play blocks with striped or spotted patterns.

"Since NOMAD is attracted to light, it will steer toward a block and pick it up. When it grabs the striped block, it gets an electrical charge," explained chief engineer James Snook.

"In the simulated brain, this conductivity registers as good taste. Blocks with spots give no charge, hence, bad taste. As NOMAD's gripper holds the block, the brain associates the taste with the pattern it sees. After learning, it will stop picking up bad tasting blocks. It will approach them and after seeing the pattern, will remember that they taste bad and move away."

"We are adding a third sense to NOMAD's repertoire; an auditory system," said Krichmar. The simulated auditory system has areas to categorize and locate a sound, he added. A tone is associated with the taste of the block (high-pitched from a striped block, low-pitched from a spotted block). When the block detects NOMAD's presence, it starts to beep. Future plans are to give NOMAD a long-term memory that will enable it to remember objects and events and put them into context