A basic Growing Functional Modules "artificial brain"

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to exhibit the internal process of the Growing Functional Modules (GFM) controllers. These learning based controllers are graphically designed by the user, interconnecting four kinds of components: Global Goals, Acting Modules, Sensing Modules and Sensations. Global Goals specify the intrinsic motivations, Acting and Sensing Modules develop their respective functionalities while Sensations provide the controlled system's feedback. GFM Controllers engage in a learning process to satisfy the specified motivations while interacting with the environment and thus can be considered as artificial brains. The traditional systems programming task is replaced by a design phase that consists in graphically configuring and interconnecting the GFM components. This paper gives a description of the aforementioned components and of their specific roles in the learning based control process. The behavior of the controller and its components is exemplified with the characterization of a simple control application. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.