Japan aims for walking robot on the moon by 2020

Japan aims for walking robot on the moon by 2020
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioijx5DLWQ4vTbjJmhNgHsNszNhwD97AVVSG0
By JAY ALABASTER – 1 day ago
TOKYO (AP) — Japan hopes to have a two-legged robot walk on the moon by around 2020, with a joint mission involving astronauts and robots to follow, according to a plan laid out Friday by a government group.

Specifics of the plan, including what new technologies will be required and the size of the project's budget, are to be decided within the next two years, according to Japan's Strategic Headquarters for Space Development, a Cabinet-level working group.
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Bob in Texas mentioned the above link and these also.
- LRK -

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http://i.gizmodo.com/5197523/japan-pledges-to-land-humanoid-robot-on-moon-by-2020
Japan Pledges To Land Humanoid Robot On Moon By 2020
By Wilson Rothman, 7:00 PM on Fri Apr 3 2009, 8,440 views
In an otherwise vague announcement, Japan's Strategic Headquarters for Space Development said that it would put a two-legged humanoid robot on the moon by 2020.
This is to be part of a bigger space plan, whose details will be decided in the next couple of years. It's no surprise that Japan is eager to put robots on the moon (they're eager to put robots anywhere), and it's also no surprise that they wish to follow up the robots-only mission with a manned mission, using robot helpers.
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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article6032128.ece
From The Times
April 4, 2009
One step for a robot, a giant leap for tin-mankind
Leo Lewis in Tokyo
The cutting-edge models can lumber around a room without falling over. A few can play the trumpet or serve tea. The truly sophisticated ones can just about manage the washing-up.
But by 2020, Japan predicts, humanoid robots will be ready to colonise the Moon. Other metallic brethren of these mechanical pioneers, said scientists in Tokyo, will be engaged in the bigger, more prosaic mission of cleaning Earth’s orbit of junk.
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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/03/japan_proposes_two_legged_robot_on_moon_by_2020/
Japan talks lunar 'bots as commies go hot
Time to stretch those servos
By Austin Modine • Get more from this author
Posted in Rise of the Machines, 3rd April 2009 18:16 GMT
As North Korea preps a ballistic missile launch over Japan, the Japanese are grandstanding back with promises of robots walking on the moon by 2020.
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We have mentioned that it would be nice to have some robots to help set up a lunar base camp.
We have also mentioned that the lunar regolith is not going to be kind to mechanical devices.
It will be interesting to see how well a robot will handle all of the grit.
- LRK -

I have been reading the writings of James S. Albus and I know we have a number of robotic machines being used in industry.
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documents/library/isd_pub.html
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/personnel/albus/


We have seen cars run on their own across the desert.
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/october12/stanleyfinish-100905.html
Will someone make an automatic railroad track installer for the Moon?
http://www.distant-galaxy.com/maelstrom2/DigiMatte/ACC_M2LunarRailMountains.html

I wonder what the response from the USA will be?
Are we really going to do more than just spend a couple of days on a mountain?
Who or what is going to install power lines?

What will be the next robot toy or transformer you buy at the store?
One of an astronaut robot and its adventures on the Moon?
Will you be able to buy a lunar base camp kit?

Hope we see more books about living on the Moon.
Enjoyed watching the TV series Space: 1999.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072564/

Who is writing about the Moon Base Alpha now?

Any movies being developed showing how we will live on the Moon?
http://www.distant-galaxy.com/maelstrom2/MaelstromII.html

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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> Title: Theory of Cerebellar Function
> Author: Albus, J.S.
> Published: Mathematical Biosciences, Volume 10, Numbers 1/2, February
> 1971, pgs. 25-61
> Keywords: Brain Models & Neural Nets
> Ref Num: 1 Year: 1971 Project: CMAC
> Online versions: PDF [2 M]
> http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documents/albus/Loc_01.pdf
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> http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documents/albus/Ref_Model_Arch345.pdf
> [38 pages, 132 KB]
> A Reference Model Architecture for Intelligent Systems Design
>
> James S. Albus
> Intelligent Systems Division
> Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
> National Institute of Standards and Technology
>
> Introduction
> A previously published outline for a theory of intelligence defines
> intelligence as “the ability to act appropriately in an uncertain environment, where appropriate
> action is that which increases the probability of success, and success is the achievement of
> behavioral goals[1].” The intelligent system acts so as to maximize probability of success and minimize
> probability of failure. Both goals and success criteria are generated in the environment external
> to the intelligent system. At a minimum, intelligence requires the abilities to sense the environment,
> make decisions, and control action. Higher levels of intelligence require the abilities to
> recognize objects and events, store and use knowledge about the world, and to reason about and plan for the
> future. Advanced forms of intelligence have the abilities to perceive and analyze, to plot and
> scheme, to choose wisely and plan successfully in a complex, competitive, hostile world. The amount
> of intelligence is determined by the computational power of the computing engine, the
> sophistication and elegance of algorithms, the amount and quality of information and values, and
> the efficiency and reliability of the system architecture. The amount of intelligence can grow
> through programming, learning, and evolution. Intelligence is the product of natural selection,
> wherein more successful behavior is passed on to succeeding generations of intelligent systems, and less
> successful behavior dies out. Natural selection is driven by competition between individuals within
> a group, and groups within the world.
> snip
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> A New Approach to Manipulator Control: The Cerebellar Model
> Articulation Controller
>
> http://www4.cs.umanitoba.ca/~jacky/Robotics/Papers/Albus-ANewApproachForManipulatorControlCMACS.pdf
> [4 pages, 68 KB]
>
> The Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller (CMAC) [1, 2] is a neural
> network that models the structure and function of the part of the
> brain known as the cerebellum. The cerebellum provides precise coordination of motor
> control for such body parts as the eyes, arms, fingers, legs, and
> wings. It stores and retrieves information required to control thousands of muscles in
> producing coordinated behavior as a function of time. CMAC was
> designed to provide this kind of motor control for robotic manipulators.
> snip
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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