Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!noc.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!mixcom.com!Clint.Laskowski
From: Clint.Laskowski <Clint.Laskowski@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Subject: Re: SQUIGGLE BALL INTELLIGENCE
Message-ID: <1993Jul9.200427.11711@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Sender: jjwwjj@mixcom.mixcom.com (Clint Laskowski)
Organization: Milwaukee Internet Xchange BBS, Milwaukee, WI (414) 241-5469
References: <1993Jul4.050159.19322@mixcom.mixcom.com> <C9sryL.GL0@math.uwaterloo.ca>
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1993 20:04:27 GMT
Lines: 37

In <C9sryL.GL0@math.uwaterloo.ca> mwtilden@math.uwaterloo.ca (Mark W. Tilden) writes:

>In article <1993Jul4.050159.19322@mixcom.mixcom.com> Clint.Laskowski <Clint.Laskowski@mixcom.mixcom.com> writes:
>>
>>So, is this thing intelligent? Without considering the internal
>>operations, I'd say it was at least as intelligent as some of the
>>mobile robots we discuss hear in c.r at times.

>It's not "intelligent" but it does satisfy survival rules for simple
>environments: it wanders around and, by nature of its form, protects itself.
>The problems are: - Can't climb out of a hole, valley or shallow.
>                  - Can't control direction or path with any accuracy.
>                  - Can't manipulate its environment with any force.
>                  - Thus, can't feed itself.

>So it's a cool design but not a sufficient one for macroscale application
>except maybe as a pet toy.  As for microscale application, well plankton have
>proven this sort of survival strategy effective for millions of years.

>Sufficient but not efficient.  Neat, but I wouldn't want to mount a micro 
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I think it would be more accurate to say the opposite: Efficient but not
sufficient. Maybe it depends on how you look at it! Thanks for the response.

- Clint

>Mark W. Tilden.  "Gomi no Sensei des"       _    _    ________________________
>MFCF, Un. of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.    / \  / \  /________________________)
>519/885-1211 <mwtilden@math.uwaterloo.ca> //\ \//\ \// ___o___________________
>#include (standard.disclaimer);          //  \_/  \_/ (_______________________)
-- 
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