Haikonen envisions autonomous robots that perceive and understand the world directly, acting in it in a natural human-like way without the need of programs and numerical representation of information. By developing higher-level cognitive functions through the power of artificial associative neuron architectures, the author approaches the issues of machine consciousness. Robot Brains expertly outlines a complete system approach to cognitive machines, offering practical design guidelines for the creation of non-numeric autonomous creative machines. It details topics such as component parts and realization principles, so that different pieces may be implemented in hardware or software. Real-world examples for designers and researchers are provided, including circuit and systems examples that few books on this topic give. In novel technical and practical detail, this book also considers: the limitations and remedies of traditional neural associators in creating true machine cognition; basic circuit assemblies cognitive neural architectures; how motors can be interfaced with the associative neural system in order for fluent motion to be achieved without numeric computations; memorization, imagination, planning and reasoning in the machine; the concept of machine emotions for motivation and value systems; an approach towards the use and understanding of natural language in robots. The methods presented in this book have important implications for computer vision, signal processing, speech recognition and other information technology fields. Systematic and thoroughly logical, it will appeal to practising engineers involved in the development and design of robots and cognitive machines, also researchers in Artificial Intelligence. Postgraduate students in computational neuroscience and robotics, and neuromorphic engineers will find it an exciting source of information.

Examines the brains inside of a robot.

An AGI Brain for a Robot is the first and only book to give a detailed account and practical demonstration of an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The brain is to be implemented in fast parallel hardware and embodied in the head of a robot moving in the real world. Associative learning is shown to be a powerful technique for novelty seeking, language learning, and planning. This book is for neuroscientists, robot designers, psychologists, philosophers and anyone curious about the evolution of the human brain and its specialized functions. The overarching message of this book is that an AGI, as the brain of a robot, is within our grasp and would work like our own brains. The featured brain, called PP, is not a computer program. Instead, PP is a collection of networks of associations built from J. A. Fodor’s modules and the author’s groups. The associations are acquired by intimate interaction between PP in its robot body and the real world. Simulations of PP in one of two robots in a simple world demonstrate PP learning from the second robot, which is under human control. "Both Professor Daniel C. Dennett and Professor Michael A. Arbib independently likened the book ‘An AGI Brain for a Robot’ to Valentino Braitenberg’s 1984 book ‘Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology’." Daniel C. Dennett, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University. Author of "From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds." "Michael Arbib, a long time expert in brain modeling, observed that sometimes a small book can catch the interest of readers where a large book can overwhelm and turn them away. He noted, in particular, the success of Valentino Braitenberg’s ‘Vehicles’ (for which he wrote the foreword). At a time of explosive interest in AI, he suggests that PP and its antics may be just the right way to ease a larger audience into thinking about the technicalities of creating general artificial intelligence." Michael A Arbib, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Southern California. Author of "How the Brain Got Language". "Robots seem to increasingly invade our lives, to the point that sometimes seems threatening and other-worldly. In this small book, John Andreae shows some of the basic principles of robotics in ways that are entertaining and easily understood, and touch on some of the basic questions of how the mind works." Michael C. Corballis, Professor of Psychology, University of Auckland. Author of "The Recursive Mind". "A little book that punches far beyond its weight." Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London School of Economics. Author of "Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness". "A bold and rich approach to one of the major challenges for neuroscience, robotics and philosophy. Who will take up Andreae’s challenge and implement his model?" Matthew Cobb, Professor of Zoology, University of Manchester. Author of "The Idea of the Brain". "Here is a book that could change the direction of research into artificial general intelligence in a very productive and profitable way. It describes a radical new theory of the brain that goes some way towards answering many difficult questions concerning learning, planning, language, and even consciousness. Almost incredibly, the theory is operational, and expressed in a form that could—and should—inspire future, novel, research in AI that transcends existing paradigms." Ian H. Witten, Professor of Computer Science, Waikato University. Author with Eibe Frank of "Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques".

Neuromorphic and brain-based robotics have enormous potential for furthering our understanding of the brain. By embodying models of the brain on robotic platforms, researchers can investigate the roots of biological intelligence and work towards the development of truly intelligent machines. This book provides a broad introduction to this groundbreaking area for researchers from a wide range of fields, from engineering to neuroscience. Case studies explore how robots are being used in current research, including a whisker system that allows a robot to sense its environment and neurally inspired navigation systems that show impressive mapping results. Looking to the future, several chapters consider the development of cognitive, or even conscious robots that display the adaptability and intelligence of biological organisms. Finally, the ethical implications of intelligent robots are explored, from morality and Asimov's three laws to the question of whether robots have rights.

How do 'minds' work? In 'Exploring Robotic Minds', Jun Tani answers this fundamental question by reviewing his own pioneering neurorobotics research project.

The idea that some day robots may have emotions has captured the imagination of many and has been dramatized by robots and androids in such famous movies as 2001 Space Odyssey's HAL or Star Trek's Data. By contrast, the editors of this book have assembled a panel of experts in neuroscience and artificial intelligence who have dared to tackle the issue of whether robots can have emotions from a purely scientific point of view. The study of the brain now usefully informs study of the social, communicative, adaptive, regulatory, and experimental aspects of emotion and offers support for the idea that we exploit our own psychological responses in order to feel others' emotions. The contributors show the many ways in which the brain can be analyzed to shed light on emotions. Fear, reward, and punishment provide structuring concepts for a number of investigations. Neurochemistry reveals the ways in which different "neuromodulators" such as serotonin, dopamine, and opioids can affect the emotional valence of the brain. And studies of different regions such as the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex provide a view of the brain as a network of interacting subsystems. Related studies in artificial intelligence and robotics are discussed and new multi-level architectures are proposed that make it possible for emotions to be implemented. It is now an accepted task in robotics to build robots that perceive human expressions of emotion and can "express" simulated emotions to ease interactions with humans. Looking towards future innovations, some scientists posit roles for emotion with our fellow humans. All of these issues are covered in this timely and stimulating book which is written for researchers and graduated students in neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, robotics, and artificial intelligence.