Day 2: (Thu Sep 3, Week 1) Webots Simulator; Behavior and Agency

Notes for 2020-09-03.

New Assignments

  1. Please fill out the RCP Fall 2020 Skill Survey before Friday.

  2. Preparation for next class: Day 3 videos.

Daily Agenda

  1. Brief re-introductions for new students.

  2. Q&A about the Webots simulator.

  3. Discussion questions: behavior, autonomy, and system boundaries.

    1. Watch a few brief clips from Running and Walking Machines:

      1. Cornell 3D Passive Walker

      2. Cockroach Running

      3. RHex running, first of the RHex videos

    2. Questions:

      1. Is it surprisingly animate? In what ways?

      2. In what ways is it autonomous or not?

      3. What constitutes the ‘robot’ in each case?

  4. Short breakout session. Each group should try to find several answers to the following questions:

    1. What is an example of a behavior we observe which is performed without either digital or organic computation?

    2. Where exactly is the authorship of the behavior, when considered as performance?

    3. Where is the locus of agency, and is it autonomous, and in what ways?

  5. After class: resolve practical software installation issues.