Towards Truly Autonomous Synthetic Characters with the Sigma Cognitive Architecture

2016 ◽  
pp. 213-237
Author(s):  
Volkan Ustun ◽  
Paul S. Rosenbloom
Keyword(s):  
Graphical Models ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Cognitive Architecture ◽  
Behavioral Models ◽  
Complete Control ◽  
Intelligent Behavior ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Fixed Structure

Realism is required not only for how synthetic characters look but also for how they behave. Many applications, such as simulations, virtual worlds, and video games, require computational models of intelligence that generate realistic and credible behavior for the participating synthetic characters. Sigma (S) is being built as a computational model of general intelligence with a long-term goal of understanding and replicating the architecture of the mind; i.e., the fixed structure underlying intelligent behavior. Sigma leverages probabilistic graphical models towards a uniform grand unification of not only traditional cognitive capabilities but also key non-cognitive aspects, creating unique opportunities for the construction of new kinds of non-modular behavioral models. These ambitions strive for the complete control of synthetic characters that behave as humanly as possible. In this paper, Sigma is introduced along with two disparate proof-of-concept virtual humans – one conversational and the other a pair of ambulatory agents – that demonstrate its diverse capabilities.

scholarly journals Practopoiesis: Or how life fosters a mind

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danko Nikolic
Keyword(s):  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Explanatory Gap ◽  
Biological Phenomenon ◽  
Intelligent Behavior ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
The Mind

The mind is a biological phenomenon. Thus, biological principles of organization should also be the principles underlying mental operations. Practopoiesis states that the key for achieving intelligence through adaptation is an arrangement in which mechanisms laying a lower level of organization, by their operations and interaction with the environment, enable creation of mechanisms lying at a higher level of organization. When such an organizational advance of a system occurs, it is called a traverse. A case of traverse is when plasticity mechanisms (at a lower level of organization), by their operations, create a neural network anatomy (at a higher level of organization). Another case is the actual production of behavior by that network, whereby the mechanisms of neuronal activity operate to create motor actions. Practopoietic theory explains why the adaptability of a system increases with each increase in the number of traverses. With a larger number of traverses, a system can be relatively small and yet, produce a higher degree of adaptive/intelligent behavior than a system with a lower number of traverses. The present analyses indicate that the two well-known traverses—neural plasticity and neural activity—are not sufficient to explain human mental capabilities. At least one additional traverse is needed, which is named anapoiesis for its contribution in reconstructing knowledge e.g., from long-term memory into working memory. The conclusions bear implications for brain theory, the mind-body explanatory gap, and developments of artificial intelligence technologies.

Plant mortality and seedling recruitment responses to flupropanate in grassland populations of Nassella trichotoma

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.W. Bourdôt ◽  
S. Jackman ◽  
D.J. Saville
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Sodium Salt ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Residual Activity ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Plant Mortality ◽  
Complete Control ◽  
Bio Synthesis

Flupropanate (sodium 2,2,3,3 tetrafluoropropanate), a slow-acting lipid bio- synthesis-inhibiting herbicide, was recently registered in New Zealand as Taskforce (745 g/L flupropanate as the sodium salt) for the selective and long-term control of Nassella trichotoma (nassella tussock) in pastures. In five dose-response experiments in permanent hill pastures in Canterbury, conducted between 2012 and 2016, we measured the efficacy of the herbicide against established plants of N. trichotoma and its residual activity against recruiting seedlings. Mortality, as an average across the five sites, was 93% 1.5 years after applying 1.49 kg flupropanate/ha (the label-recommended rate), and 100% at 2.98 kg/ha. This indicates that an application rate higher than the label rate will be necessary for complete control of a N. trichotoma infestation. The presence of 1,000 and 6,250 visible seedlings of N. trichotoma/ha in the autumn 3.2 and 2.1 years after applying 1.49 kg flupropanate/ha (at a Greta Valley and Scargill site respectively) indicates that the herbicide’s soil residues had decayed within 12 months to a concentration lower than necessary to kill the germinating seedlings of N. trichotoma.

Marketing For Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr.Pankaj Jain
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Green Marketing ◽  
Marketing Social ◽  
Marketing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Marketing ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Marketing Principles

This paper is an attempt to put forward a roadmap to attain sustainable marketing through social marketing, green marketing and critical marketing. Social Marketing is an approach to decide the marketing strategies and activities keeping society’s long term welfare in the mind. Social and ethical concerns are at the centre of social marketing. Green Marketing is an approach to develop and market environmentally safer products and services in and introducing sustainability efforts in various marketing and business processes. At last, Critical Marketing is an approach that calls for analyzing marketing principles, techniques and theory using a critical theory based approach. This approach helps in regulating and controlling marketing activities with a focus on sustainability as it challenges and questions the existing capitalist and marketing systems so as to achieve a more sustainable marketing system.

scholarly journals Understanding sex differences in long-term blood pressure regulation: insights from experimental studies and computational modeling

2019 ◽  
Vol 316 (5) ◽  
pp. H1113-H1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameed Ahmed ◽  
Rui Hu ◽  
Jessica Leete ◽  
Anita T. Layton
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Pressure Control ◽  
Blood Pressure Regulation ◽  
Pressure Regulation ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Key Players

Sex differences in blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension are found in humans and animal models. Moreover, there has been a recent explosion of data concerning sex differences in nitric oxide, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, inflammation, and kidney function. These data have the potential to reveal the mechanisms underlying male-female differences in blood pressure control. To elucidate the interactions among the multitude of physiological processes involved, one may apply computational models. In this review, we describe published computational models that represent key players in blood pressure regulation, and highlight sex-specific models and their findings.

scholarly journals Computational models of adaptive behavior and prefrontal cortex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Soltani ◽  
Etienne Koechlin
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Adaptive Behavior ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Cognitive Architecture ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Internal Models ◽  
Multiple Systems ◽  
Statistical Inferences ◽  
Neural Computations ◽  
Task Sets

AbstractThe real world is uncertain, and while ever changing, it constantly presents itself in terms of new sets of behavioral options. To attain the flexibility required to tackle these challenges successfully, most mammalian brains are equipped with certain computational abilities that rely on the prefrontal cortex (PFC). By examining learning in terms of internal models associating stimuli, actions, and outcomes, we argue here that adaptive behavior relies on specific interactions between multiple systems including: (1) selective models learning stimulus–action associations through rewards; (2) predictive models learning stimulus- and/or action–outcome associations through statistical inferences anticipating behavioral outcomes; and (3) contextual models learning external cues associated with latent states of the environment. Critically, the PFC combines these internal models by forming task sets to drive behavior and, moreover, constantly evaluates the reliability of actor task sets in predicting external contingencies to switch between task sets or create new ones. We review different models of adaptive behavior to demonstrate how their components map onto this unifying framework and specific PFC regions. Finally, we discuss how our framework may help to better understand the neural computations and the cognitive architecture of PFC regions guiding adaptive behavior.

Information and mechanical models of intelligence

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Eunice Quilici Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Main Topic ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Meaningful Information ◽  
Intelligent Behavior ◽  
Mechanical Models ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Impact

The impact of new advanced technology on issues that concern meaningful information and its relation to studies of intelligence constitutes the main topic of the present paper. The advantages, disadvantages and implications of the synthetic methodology developed by cognitive scientists, according to which mechanical models of the mind, such as computer simulations or self-organizing robots, may provide good explanatory tools to investigate cognition, are discussed. A difficulty with this methodology is pointed out, namely the use of meaningless information to explain intelligent behavior that incorporates meaningful information. In this context, it is inquired what are the contributions of cognitive science to contemporary studies of intelligent behavior and how technology may play a role in the analysis of the relationships established by organisms in their natural and social environments.

Bistability of somatic pattern memories: stochastic outcomes in bioelectric circuits underlying regeneration

2021 ◽  
Vol 376 (1821) ◽  
pp. 20190765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Pezzulo ◽  
Joshua LaPalme ◽  
Fallon Durant ◽  
Michael Levin
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Memory Representation ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Evolutionary Innovation ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
The Brain

Nervous systems’ computational abilities are an evolutionary innovation, specializing and speed-optimizing ancient biophysical dynamics. Bioelectric signalling originated in cells' communication with the outside world and with each other, enabling cooperation towards adaptive construction and repair of multicellular bodies. Here, we review the emerging field of developmental bioelectricity, which links the field of basal cognition to state-of-the-art questions in regenerative medicine, synthetic bioengineering and even artificial intelligence. One of the predictions of this view is that regeneration and regulative development can restore correct large-scale anatomies from diverse starting states because, like the brain, they exploit bioelectric encoding of distributed goal states—in this case, pattern memories. We propose a new interpretation of recent stochastic regenerative phenotypes in planaria, by appealing to computational models of memory representation and processing in the brain. Moreover, we discuss novel findings showing that bioelectric changes induced in planaria can be stored in tissue for over a week, thus revealing that somatic bioelectric circuits in vivo can implement a long-term, re-writable memory medium. A consideration of the mechanisms, evolution and functionality of basal cognition makes novel predictions and provides an integrative perspective on the evolution, physiology and biomedicine of information processing in vivo . This article is part of the theme issue ‘Basal cognition: multicellularity, neurons and the cognitive lens’.

ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE MAIN CLIMATIC FACTORS ON THE YIELD OF WINTER CEREAL CROPS ON THE TERRITORY OF BELARUS FOR FORECASTING PURPOSES

2021 ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Halina A. Kamyshenka
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Yield Variability ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Statistical Assessment ◽  
Winter Cereal ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation

The results of a statistical assessment of the influence of changing weather and climatic conditions of the territory of Belarus on the productivity of the main winter cereal crops are presented in order to build computational models of productivity. The calculations were made with respect to the climatic component as a predictor, taking into account the deviations of air temperature and precipitation from the long-term climatic norm of months that have the most significant effect on the yield of the studied crops. For winter rye and wheat, adequate models of yield variability have been built. The research results are relevant for solving forecasting problems.

scholarly journals TAILA DHARA IN NIDRANASHA W.S.R. TO INSOMNIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (06) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumit Raosaheb Patil
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Stable State ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Deep Sleep ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Disturbed Sleep ◽  
The Mind

ABSTRACT Ayurveda says Nidra yuktam Sukham Dukkham, In fact, it says that sleep is one of the three pillars of health. Insomnia or Nidranasha, is not just about being not getting proper sleep but it means that the nervous system has been weakened and reduces our ability to cope up with daily sleep. Insomnia is named as Nidranasha, happens due to vitiation of Kapha, Pitta and Vata dosha. Proper and deep sleep helps the person keep Energetic, Enthusiastic, does Brumhana, increases the Bala, increases vigour and vitality and most it keeps the Mind in stable state for gaining knowledge. Insomnia means inability to get sleep at night or inability to have a restful and sound sleep. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability, and a depressed mood. Insomnia can be short term, lasting for days or weeks, or long term, lasting more than a month. Insomnia can occur independently or as a result of another problem. Conditions that can result in insomnia include psychological stress, chronic pain, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, heartburn, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, Arthritis, menopause, and certain medications, and drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Treatment of Insomnia:- Panchakarma â€“ Taila dhara a type of Shirodhara is very much useful in combacting the Insomnia caused due to various above said disorders. So its a demand of time to know about the real sleep and the disturbed sleep according to Ayurveda and Mordern medicines also and effect of Taila Dhara Brahmi,Jatamamsi siddha) in treating Insomnia.

The Role of Standards for E-Commerce in Virtual Worlds

2011 ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joerg H. Kloss
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
3D Graphics ◽  
Iso Standard ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
3D Environments ◽  
Interactive 3D ◽  
The Right

This chapter discusses the topic of standards for Virtual Worlds with emphasis on their usability as a stable and reliable basis for long-term investments into 3D-E-Commerce. The text explains why standards are important for the success of Virtual Worlds as well as the business in these shared online 3D environments, and what the relevant criteria are to decide for the right technology and/or provider. Although sometimes in the shadow of popular proprietary platforms there are already many different candidates for a Virtual World standard, currently in different states of development. By choosing a 3D platform, E-Commerce providers will decide about their business potential and at the same time strengthen one or another standard in the current technical competition phase. So it is important to get an overview about the current approaches, their advantages and disadvantages as well as the tendencies for the future developments. In this chapter the reader will be sensitized for the issues of standardization, compatibility and interoperability of Virtual Worlds for successful E-Commerce applications. An overview about the current approaches supports the orientation and decision for the different technologies. Some concrete XML-based code examples realized in the international ISO standard for interactive 3D-Graphics X3D demonstrates the practical deployment of highly compatible concepts. An outlook to the further integration of interactive 3D graphics into the Next Generation Web respectively the 3D Internet completes the overview.

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