Development of Sensory-Motor System by Plant Robotization, and Investigation of Possibility of Emergence of Primitive Sociality

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25540115
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Intelligent robotics
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: MIZUUCHI Ikuo 東京農工大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (60359651)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 植物ロボット化 / 感覚運動系 / 発達 / 社会性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We proposed an algorithm that determines a behavior of each robot in a swarm of plant-pot robots. By this algorithm, the total amount of photosynthesis in a certain sunny area and a certain period of time was maximized. We confirmed the effectiveness of the algorithm by simulation. We also designed and developed two types of plant-pot robots (Plantroids), and performed real-world experiments in which the robots moved towards sunny area automatically.
We also conducted research on vast aspects of sensory-motor systems: there are several interesting results on robots' curiosity, an algorithm of motion or behavior which follows an intention or preference of other individual agents, analysis of human's sensory-motor system and discussing robot's algorithm based on it, and so on.

Free Research Field

ロボティクス