Man-Machine Coupling

“In the physical realm it will process data to solve problems and give information in any area of human interest. It will make decisions. It will execute prescribed courses of action.

In the psychological realm it will analyze personality and diagnose psychiatric problems. It will prescribe courses of action appropriate to personality and, by repeated suggestion and testing, effect psychiatric cures.”

This got me thinking about how much technology is advancing and whether or not It is such a good thing.  While robots and machines are modeled after human behavior with humans in mind, is it really ok for machines to diagnose psychological problems? 

When it comes to physical and biological problems and tests are ran that is one thing.  But how can a machine decide psychological problems when humans already have issues misdiagnosing?  How is a machine able to make the right diagnoses when what it is modeled after has trouble.

Research

            I am interested in Robots, Solar powered robots to be specific.  My ultimate goal will one day be to build a Solar Powered Panda Robot.  But that’s in the distant future.  I am also interested in exploring the Arduino more and using that with my Photopopper Photovore Robot.  I am really interested in seeing how it reacts to different types of lights and colored lights.

Essentially, I would like to build the Photopopper Photovore, which is a light seeking and obstacle avoiding Solarbot.  I would like to eventually combine Max7 with an Arduino and be able to use it to control different lights, set up in various locations that would then make the Photopopper interact with the lights.

I would eventually like to program the lights with music in order to change the lights, I would like to maybe use music of sorts and the tones or ranges to change the lights that would then make the Photopopper move towards the lights.

            Ex. Grey Walter’s Tortoise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLULRlmXkKo

            Ref. Gordon Pask MusiColor

Materials:   

a.     Photopopper

b.    Arduino(s)

c.     Max7

d.    Lights/ LED’s

e.    Music

a.     Songs

b.    Traditional instruments

c.     General Noise

Reference Programs/ Materials:

http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/PhysicalPixel

http://www.soundplusdesign.com/?p=1305

           

http://digitalcoleman.blogspot.com/2009/03/maxuino-005-released-arduino-firmata-v2.html

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/lesson3.html

Reading, Gordon Pask

I like that they mentioned Disney’s Fantasia, and the light flashes and color that pulsated with the music.

“The musical performer (who may, incidentally, be replaced by a small group or band) must first be able to see the visual display and second be able to modify his performance according to what he sees.”

·      Gordon Pask, Musicolor, this is interesting because this is essentially what I want to do with my Photopopper robot.  I want the lights to be controlled by sound, depending on what song is playing, depending on the level, the lights should change, and since the Photopopper is light seeking, it should be drawn to the different lights as they flash.