A Cheetah sprints across a black background illustrating the concept of speed.
Research in animal communications conjures up images of Jane Goodall studying the great apes in Tanzania. Indeed, a great deal of research in the field is on higher level functions such as social interactions, animal cognition, or even emotional life. However, underneath all the higher level functions, there is a much more basic elemental aspect of intelligence consisting of simply surviving in the physical world. This capability seems to be so innate that there is little research on its basic functionality. What are the key characteristics of this capability ?
First, there is a large class of intelligence which is connected to perception of the physical future behaviour of other actors in the environment. Key ideas include:
Second, there is a basic calculation of physics. No, animals are not solving Newtons equations of motion. However, animals innately maintain balance, calculate interception trajectories, and manage the potential for threats to physically harm them.
Third, animals maintain a basic virtual mental model of their surrounding environment, and this model seems to generate an expectation which drives perception. The difference between perception and expectation combined with absolute distance seems to be central concept to drive behavior. For example, a surprise awareness of an unknown object in close proximity drives a highly visceral response.
With this range of perception, mental modeling and non-verbal cross species communication, animals do threat assessment(Autonomous Technology Term), and path planning(Autonomous Technology Term). Of course, humans have exactly the same capabilities in the lower levels of the human brain. Something like the Ellen Scares Guests video effectively demonstrates this principle.
What does all of this have to do with Autonomous Vehicles in a well regulated transportation network ?
Research on all the accidents to date with AVs has shown that the vast majority of them are caused by humans hitting AVs in low-speed rear-end collisions. Why do humans hit AVs at a higher rate than other humans ? It appears the answer is a miscalculation of the AVs future behaviour.
It is the nature of human beings to anthropomorphize and we also do so with automobiles. Humans interpret the micro-breaking, micro-accelerations, drift in the lane, and other factors in our own threat assessment of the situation. All of these nonverbal movements are a source of active communications for human beings. In addition, layered on top of this interpretation is more explicit non-verbal communication through eye-contact or hand gestures. Overall, this creates a non-verbal language-of-driving which effectively makes the whole cooperative transportation system work.
When autonomous vehicles do not participate in this communication, they create a danger to the overall system. AV researchers are just starting to look at aspects of this problem with a focus on the near term problems such as interpreting the potential movements of pedestrians at intersections. However, the fundamentals seem to be much deeper and broader. To be effective, it is likely that AVs will have to be able to interpret a broader language and this analysis may well have to extend to the behaviour of animals (deer, cats, dogs, etc) as well.After all, they share the road in residential settings. Note, this language-of-driving may well have regional dialects. The language of a Boston and Cincinnati driver has some variation.
"The primary and under appreciated challengein the application of autonomy is understanding & exploiting human/machine teaming, says Ken Ford, CEO of the Institute for Human Machine Cognition (IHMC).
With the world of Natural Language Processing (Alexa, etc), researchers have built a reasonable understanding for spoken and written language. However, this much more basic form of communication and perception is just at its beginning stages of understanding.
It seems the capability is so innate that we didnt know we did it, until we had to recreate it in autonomous systems.
Note: There is a companion article How Safe Is Safe For An AV ? The Answer (Expectation And Communication) which maybe of interest to the reader.
See more here:
Is Progress In Autonomous Technology Gated By Research In Animal Communication? - Forbes
- Report: Apple acquires French startup behind AI and computer vision technology - 9to5Mac - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- CACI Awarded $1.3 Billion Task Order to Provide Communications and Information Technology Expertise to U.S. ... - Business Wire - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- What is semi-automated offside technology and how does it work? - The Athletic - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Can technology save us from an ecological apocalypse? - interview - CyberNews.com - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Does LaLiga have goalline technology? What about other major leagues? - AS USA - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Driver Assistance Technologies: NHTSA Should Take Action to Enhance Consumer Understanding of Capabilities and ... - Government Accountability Office - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- OpenAI reveals Voice Engine, but won't yet publicly release the risky AI voice-cloning technology - The Associated Press - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Nexalin Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: US$0.63 loss per share (vs US$0.30 loss in FY 2022) - Yahoo Finance - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Battle for your brain': What the rise of brain-computer interface technology means for you - WBUR News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Firsthand Technology Value Fund (NASDAQ:SVVC) Research Coverage Started at StockNews.com - Defense World - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Suzhou Anjie Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Misses Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world's most dangerous technology - POLITICO Europe - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- The Technological Pivot Of History: Power In The Age Of Exponential Innovation Analysis - Eurasia Review - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Women Behind the Wheel' explores the intersection of gender, culture and cars - NPR - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Shanghai Weihong Electronic Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Lags - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- A Look At The Fair Value Of Powertech Technology Inc. (TWSE:6239) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Weaver Network Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS Beats Expectations, Revenues Lag - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- New York City will introduce controversial AI gun detection technology amid subway crime crisis - SiliconANGLE News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Earnings Not Telling The Story For Beijing CTJ Information Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:301153) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Vontron Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS: CN0.35 (vs CN0.34 in FY 2022) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Huawei Revenue Rises as Technology Giant Commits to Growth - Technology Magazine - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Shenzhen Fortune Trend technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Beats Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- USPACE Technology Group Limited (HKG:1725) May Have Run Too Fast Too Soon With Recent 28% Price Plummet - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- NYC to test gun-detecting technology in subway system - SILive.com - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Cancer Treatment: 3D Printing and Scanning Technology - Surviving Mesothelioma - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Does Contel Technology (HKG:1912) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet? - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Oppo Find X7 series now supports 5G-Advanced technology with up to 10 Gbps downlink speed - The Indian Express - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- DCPS receives nearly $20k in grants for technology program advancements - The Owensboro Times - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Hangzhou Electronic Soul Network Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Misses Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- International Business Digital Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: CN0.07 loss per share (vs CN0.019 loss in FY ... - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Analysts Are More Bearish On Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002709) Than They Used To Be - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Daheng New Epoch Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS: CN0.11 (vs CN0.16 in FY 2022) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Tesla offers U.S. customers a month's trial of its driver-assist technology - Reuters - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Slam Dunk Technology: How AI Is Revolutionizing The Game Of Basketball - Forbes - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- China Environmental Technology and Bioenergy Holdings Full Year 2023 Earnings: CN0.03 loss per share (vs CN ... - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Vuma and Huawei team up to launch industry first 50G PON ... - Light Reading - July 15th, 2023 [July 15th, 2023]
- See What Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner Look Like With Aging ... - E! NEWS - July 15th, 2023 [July 15th, 2023]
- AFRL conducts swarm technology demonstration > ONE AFRL ... - afrl.af.mil - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Shell to use new AI technology in deep sea oil exploration - Reuters - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Former Google CEO says AI at 'center' of technology competition between US and China - Fox News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Agriculture and technology combine to drive the industrys growth - Times of India - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Technology and the Skills Shortage - Financial Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- New License Agreement Announced for Next-Generation Base ... - BioPharm International - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Orion Governance Licenses Technology from GE to Deliver Next Generation Data Governance Solution - Yahoo Finance - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- World needs to be 'vigilant' as AI technology improves and ... - KTVZ - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- After Losing Son, Ridgefield Mother Pushes For Technology to Prevent Hot Car Deaths - NBC Connecticut - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- After last year's fan violence in Queretaro, has Fan ID technology ensured safety for Liga MX fans? - ESPN - ESPN - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Bleach: The Soul Reapers' Gigai Technology, Explained - CBR - Comic Book Resources - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Cogito Tech - Catalyzing Transformation in Global Healthcare ... - Business Standard - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Barriers to Use of Technology in Diabetes Management - Patient Care Online - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Blue technology startups presented at the inaugural Gulf Blue ... - The University of Southern Mississippi - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- CureVac files expanded patent lawsuit against Pfizer/BioNTech over ... - Reuters - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Harrison Ford defends use of de-ageing technology in new Indiana Jones film: I know that that is my face - Yahoo News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Sanwo-Olu: Nigeria needs technology to compete with likes of China - Guardian Nigeria - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Prejudice in technology, and the necessity of time: Books in brief - Nature.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- New technology uses ordinary sunlight to disinfect drinking water ... - Stanford University News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Incredible AI technology shows what UK cities will look like in 2050 - LADbible - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Your Firm and Your Tools - Top Technology Initiatives - CPAPracticeAdvisor.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Tom Hanks: I could appear in movies after death with AI technology - BBC - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Transform your career with Chief Technology Officer online course - Economic Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- e-Learning Jamaica Technology in Education Conference Slated for ... - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Andrew Maynard | What's a Luddite? From Industrial Revolution to ... - TribDem.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- At Yale, Kaloyan Kolev used technology to create and to make ... - Yale News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- This technology could alter the entire planet. These groups want every nation to have a say. - MIT Technology Review - April 17th, 2023 [April 17th, 2023]
- The secret lives of snakes and how Georgia College uses technology to study them - 13WMAZ.com - April 8th, 2023 [April 8th, 2023]
- Technology Innovation Institute to host 2nd 'Additive Manufacturing the Future' seminar in Abu Dhabi - Devdiscourse - April 8th, 2023 [April 8th, 2023]
- Can Array Technologies Inc (ARRY) Stock Rise to the Top of Technology Sector Thursday? - InvestorsObserver - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Here's Why We Think Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology (ETR:PFV) Might Deserve Your Attention Today - Simply Wall St - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Will WM Technology Inc (MAPS) Stay at the Top of the Technology Sector? - InvestorsObserver - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Ways in which technology can enhance the abilities of law enforcement agents to assist the community - Times of India - February 7th, 2023 [February 7th, 2023]
- Meet The Titans: Google And OpenView (Microsoft) Faceoff On Chat Technology Innovation - Forbes - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:MTSI) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong? - Simply Wall St - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- WVU Dept. of Ophthalmology acquires state-of-the-art technology for simulation lab - WV News - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Executive Vice President of Technology & Operations Alok Sethi Just Sold A Bunch Of Shares In Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) - Simply Wall St - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Is Now The Time To Put Amkor Technology (NASDAQ:AMKR) On Your Watchlist? - Simply Wall St - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- There Are Reasons To Feel Uneasy About New Oriental Education & Technology Group's (NYSE:EDU) Returns On Capital - Simply Wall St - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Technology has set us on a path toward one of two dystopian scenariosbut its not too late to save democracy - Fortune - January 17th, 2023 [January 17th, 2023]
- IonQ Acquires Entangled Networks And Locks In Quantum Networking Technology Critical To Its Future Success - Forbes - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Industrialization 3.0 - How Technology, Wall Street, And The Government Can Help The US Win In A World Of Re-Industrialization - Forbes - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Connect with aspirational India through technology and work in interest of world: Anurag Thakur to NRIs - Economic Times - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]