How Robots Learn: Fits and Starts
April 1, 2022
Navigate to “This Video of the Mini Cheetah Running Is Both Inspiring and Hilarious.” The video is on YouTube at this link. The idea is that instead of programming to teach a dog-like robot to run, the machines learns. The approach is called “model free learning.”
Several observations:
- Model free means that a human does not have to figure out each instruction and then write it up for the robot. The implication is that the robot learns like a human.
- Humans learning to walk typically have a humanoid around to make sure the learner does not end up in a pickle. Example: The robot runs into walls in the video. That is, I think, the hilarious part.
- The failures of the robot make it clear that if devices using model free learning methods are released before the robot learns the ins and outs of a process, disaster is probable.
The failures are a-okay for online ad matching and fiddling in a lab. Applied to an autonomous weapon, the hilarity could be short lived. What about a smart device taking a detour through a kindergarten? So maybe a slight error but no big deal. The method is less time consuming and more economical. Get those priorities straight.
Stephen E Arnold, April 1, 2022
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