Instinctive Computing

Introduction
Instinctive computing is a computational simulation of biological and cognitive instincts. The concept was first created by Yang Cai from Carnegie Mellon University, and is explored further in,
On June 15-16, 2009, the first International Workshop on Instinctive Computing was held at Carnegie Mellon University. Over the course of the 2-day workshop, multidisciplinary scientists explored many related aspects of Instinctive Computing in four tracks: Instinctive Architectures, Instinctive Cognition, Intelligent Systems and Demos. A collection of innovative thoughts will appear in the book of
Instinctive Computing in Everyday Life
We are in fact living instinctive computing on daily basis. A computer virusis a perfect example. It makes copies of itself in the memory of a computer and transfers itself to other computers, much like a biological virus. The key difference is that it does not metabolize. Instead, a computer virus reprograms the metabolism of the host computer (cell). Some people have questioned whether viruses are living organisms, as they are considered parasites and can not exist independently from their hosts. Humans, like most forms of life, can be considered parasites in the giant food web. According to Stephen Hawking, a computer virus fits the definition of a living system: a set of instructions that tell the system how to sustain and reproduce itself and a mechanism to carry out these instructions. In biology, these two elements are called genes and metabolism. However, the two can exist in non-biological forms such as electronic signals. A computer virus reflects our own human instincts: foraging and reproduction. It is the only form of life we have created so far that is purely destructive. If such invaders are encoded with instincts, how do we respond effectively? The answer is deception and protection, such as firewalls and intrusion detections.
We also have friendly artifacts such as iRobot’s , a cleaning mobile robot that can navigate, scrape and vacuum autonomously. For decades, there have been many failed attempts to build the ideal housekeeping robot. What is the secret of ? The answer is simplicity at a low cost. The is stripped of many fancy functions such as 3D vision, scene modeling, route planning, remote control and reasoning. Rather, it is designed to match the instincts of an insect: sensing, foraging, homing and navigating. The tactile sensors perceive obstacles and stairs to keep the robot safe. The dirt (target) sensor determines whether the robot should stay at a spot for more work or move forward. As a result, the navigation algorithm is simple and elegant, driven by events such as obstacles, stairs, dirty spots, and low energy. The proves that a set of ‘low intelligence’ components such as simple sensors and reactions can produce complex patterns that lead to a mission accomplished. This minimalistic approach is similar to our own nature. The product is affordable, reliable, and fun to use. Some children play with like a pet, simply because it displays tell-tale instinctive behavior, which can be recognized by children.

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