The Game AI Page: Robotics

Game AI Resources: Robotics

Robotics in all its forms is perhaps the place where all of our "theoretical" AI knowledge gets put to the test in environments tougher than any game. After all, in the computer we have the luxury of being able to make up our physics as we go along; robotics are stuck dealing with real world issues that would drive most game AI developers batty.

This page is focused on developments in the field of Robotics. This is important to game developers because, frankly, the Virtual World needs the Real World to test out cool ideas. There's a lot of interesting work being done in the field of Robotics; read some of the links below and see! If you know of other links I should add please email me.

The WowWee Toy Company has long been known for making some pretty nifty toys and is well loved by many in the game industry. Now they've gone and made something pretty neat for us AI folks-- B.I.O. Bugs.

B.I.O.-Bugs are, as the manufacturer says, "Bio-mechnical Integrated Organisms", which they refer to as "a new breed of artificial intelligence". They wander around the room, learning where things are and seeking out other Bugs of the same color. They come in four colors right now:
- The Red B.I.O. Bugs are the most aggressive of all.
- The Blue B.I.O. Bugs specializes in climbing over obstacles.
- The Green B.I.O. Bugs specializes in defense above all else.
- The Yellow B.I.O. Bugs run fast.
So far there's no programmble interface that I can determine, but if there isn't one there ought to be. You can control them with a little hand controller but they're lots more fun to just let clamber around interacting with each other.

I don't have any yet but I've seen and read about them. These are neat toys for anybody in the AI field...and Christmas is just around the corner....

Those wacky researchers at Brandeis Univerisy have developed a computer that designs, evolves, and builds robots. Using neural network and genetic algorithm technologies, the computer models various designs with one aim in mind--to build robots that can move across a flat table.

When the computer has a potential design, it "builds" the robot in question using a commercially available quick prototyping 3D "printer", of sorts. These things basically work just like any other printer, except that they accept 3D models and then "build" it out of plastic. Motors are then inserted into the robot-to-be (by humans at present, though this may change in future versions) and the new robot then tries to move across the table. Successful designs are used as the parents for the next generation; failures are scrapped.

An amazing variety of designs have been generated so far. There are robotics that flop, wiggle, roll, and drag themselves along. There's even one design that has managed a shaky but workable two-legged gait...a problem any AI researcher will tell you is a toughie.

Amazing stuff. To find out more, visit the Brandeis University site. You can also read one of the (many) news articles on the experiment here.

NASA is maintaining a "Cool Robot of the Week" page that's really kinda neat. Lots of links to lots of different kinds of robots, some at least somewhat associated with the game industry. Nothing that you can directly use for a new game AI, I'll grant you, but there are a lot of papers and source material at these various sites that might prove useful. Worth a look at any rate...

Hoverbots is a neat project to allow programers to build and program hovering robots to battle each other. The environment is slowly evolving, and the project coordinator is making use of both OpenGL and TCP/IP for communications. There are lots of screenshots and downloads available and the whole thing looks like fun. Note that parts of the site are in German (I assume that's German, anyway) but the link above takes you to an English/American page. Enjoy!

3D Terrain Navigation -- Bjorn Reese has put up an excellent page dedicated to 3D terrain navigation solutions of various types. Most of the page is devoted to robotics (which have to solve all the same problems as a game does, and which must do it for a multi-million dollar piece of hardware), though there is also a good list of recommended books and links to other game-related navigation pages. An interesting page recommended for anybody seeking pathfinding algorithms other than A*.

The RoboCup project is a fascinating effort that began back in 1993 with one stated objective: To build and field a team of robots that could successfully play and win a FIFA-sanctioned game of soccer against human opponents. They've given themselves until 2050 to achieve this goal--and they certainly seem to be on track.

The effort began primarily as a way to encourage advances in robotics through a series of contests. Soccer was chosen for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being that it's an incredibly popular sport worldwide, with a huge following of fans in dozens of countries. The thought was that, once/if sufficient advancements were made in the research, a fan base for the "RoboCup Team" might eventually develop.

At any rate, the RoboCup Federation has made significant progress over the years, and the site is a gold mine of information on robotics, team planning, agents and more. You can participate by downloading a variety of server and agent software, rolling your own team of 'bots, and then entering it in contests designed to advance the art. There are several excellent forums to discuss technical problems as well.

There's a lot to learn here even if you're not interested in soccer--team-based planning is a central design issue of any good FPS or sports game (or at least it ought to be). Well worth a look to anybody interested in soccer, robotics, team planning, or just good old-fashioned competition.

For further reading, the RoboCup folks made the New York Times site, of all places. (NOTE: You'll need to register, but it's quick and free.) Way to go, RoboCuppers!! code.

Possibly the single most exhaustive site on all things robotic is robots.net. News from throughout the field of robotics research is covered here in a Slash-dot like fashion. It's amazing to see how some of the simple problems we take for granted in the virtual world of gaming (i.e., we don't have to have our orcs path-finding and balance while walking upright) are handled in the Real World (tm).