From: machin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Dave Machin)
Subject: SCI: AI in VR
Date: 23 Apr 92 14:54:16 GMT
Organization: Purdue University



Here's a thought that I had:

One of the problems with artificial intelligence is allowing the computer
free interaction with the environment.  One method of AI learning involves
the computer "experimenting" with objects in the environment, randomly at
first, and learning from its experiences; much as a young child does.  This
method creates an obvious problem.  It requires that the programmer create
robotic devices (arms, photocell receptors,etc) to allow the computer to
interact.  My thought was this: what if someone were to create a detailed
virtual environment and allow the AI program interaction within that environ-
ment?  One computer or part of the program would be the intelligence engine
which would interpret virtual sensory information given from another computer
or part of the program which controlled the virtual reality.  That way the
program could interact with its environment as if the environment were real,
but there would be no need for real world interfaces.  Hopefully the program
would learn in its virtual world and then the programer would know that the
algorithms would work in the real world.  Has any work like this been done
before?

Dave Machin
machin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu