We are building an embodied cognitive robot using ACT-R/E. ACT-R/E is built upon Anderson’s ACT-R , but we have hooked up the visual and auditory modules to our robotic sensors and we have added motor and spatial modules to move around in the world.

This approach allows advantages from many different perspectives. From a cognitive science point of view, we can explore issues of embodiment, representation, and modeling. From a robotics point of view, we have a robotics architecture based on the system that integrates information better than any other (people) and we are able to facilitate interaction between people and robots because our ACT-R/E system uses similar representations, strategies, and knowledge that people do. From an AI point of view, we are striving toward building a human-level intelligent robotic system.

Videos are available as well.

Primary References

Trafton, J. G., Harrison, A. M., Fransen, B., & Bugajska, M. (2009). An embodied model of infant gaze-following. International Conference of Cognitive Modeling 2009. PDF

Kennedy, W. G., Bugajska, M. D., Harrison, A. M., Trafton, J. G. (2009). “Like-Me” Simulation as an Effective and Cognitively Plausible Basis for Social Robotics. International Journal of Social Robotics. 1(2), 181-194.  PDF

Trafton, J. G., Schultz, A. C., Perzanowski, D., Bugajska, M. D., Adams, W., Cassimatis, N. L., & Brock, D. P. (2006). Children and robots learning to play hide and seek. Human Robot Interaction.  PDF

Other Relevant References

Harrison, A. M., & Trafton, J. G. (2009).  Gaze-following and awareness of visual perspective in chimpanzees.  International Conference of Cognitive Modeling 2009. PDF

Frost, W., Bugajska, M., & Trafton, J. G. (in press). Incremental Modeling of Language Understanding Using Speech Act Frames. Cognitive Science 2009.

Trafton, J. G., Bugajska, M. D., Fransen,, B. R., & Ratwani, R. M. (2008). Integrating vision and audition withing a cognitive architecture to track conversations. The 3rd international conference on Human Robot Interaction. PDF

Kennedy, W. G., Bugajska, M., Marge, M., Adams, W., Fransen, B. R.,Perzanowski, D., Schultz, A. C., & Trafton, J. G. (200). Incorporating Mental Simulation for a More Effective Robotic Teammate.  Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Vancouver, Canada: AAAI Press.  PDF

Kennedy, W. G., & Trafton, J. G. (2007). Using simulations to model shared mental models. In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of Cognitive Modeling (ICCM) (253-254).  Ann Arbor, MI: Taylor & Francis/ Psychology Press.  PDF

Kennedy, W. G., Bugajska, M., Marge, M., Adams, W., Fransen, B. R.,Perzanowski, D., Schultz, A. C., & Trafton, J. G. (2007). Spatial Representation and Reasoning for Human-Robot Collaboration. Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Conference on Artificial Intelligence (pg 1554-1559). Vancouver, Canada: AAAI Press.  PDF

Trafton, J. G., Schultz, A. C., Cassimatis, N. L., Hiatt, L. M., Perzanowski, D., P., Brock D. P., Bugajska M., & Adams W. (2006). Communicating and collaborating with robotic agents (pp. 252-278). In R. Sun (Ed.), Cognition and Multi-Agent Interaction: From cognitive modeling to social simulation.  PDF (summary article)

Squire, P., Trafton, J. G., & Parasuraman, R. (2006). Human Control of Multiple Unmanned Vehicles: Effects of Interface Type on Execution and Task Switching Times. Human Robot Interaction.  PDF

Trafton, J. G., Cassimatis, N. L., Bugajska, M. D., Brock, D. P., Mintz, F. E., & Schultz, A. C. (2005). Enabling effective human-robot interaction using perspective-taking in robots.  IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics---Part A: Systems and Humans. 35(4), 460-470.  PDF

Sofge, D., Bugajska, M., Trafton, J. G., Perzanowski D., Thomas S., Skubic M., Blisard S., Cassimatis N., Brock D., Adams W, & Schultz A. (2005). Collaborating with Humanoid Robots in Space. International Journal of Humanoid Robotics. 2(2), 181-201.  PDF

Schultz, A. C., & Trafton, J. G. (2005). Towards collaboration with robots in shared space: Spatial perspective and frames of reference. Interactions. Xii.2 (March-April), 22-24.  PDF

Trafton, J. G., Schultz, A. C., Bugajska, M., Mintz, F. E. (2005). Perspective-taking with robots: Experiments and models. Proceedings of the 14th IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Interactive Communication.  PDF

Cassimatis, N. L., Trafton, J., G., Bugajska, M. D., & Schultz, A. C. (2004). Integrating Cognition, Perception and Action through Mental Simulation in Robots. Journal of Robotics and Autonomous Systems. 49(1-2), 13-23.  PDF

Mintz, F. E., Trafton, J. G., Marsh, E., & Perzanowski, D. (2004). Choosing frames of reference. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 48th Annual Meeting.  PDF

Bugasjska, M. D., Schultz, A. C., Trafton, J. G., Taylor, M., & Mintz, F. (2002). Hybrid Cognitive-Reactive Multi-Agent Controller. IROS 2002.  PDF

Bugasjska, M. D., Schultz, A. C., Trafton, J. G., Gittens, S., & Mintz, F. (2001). Building adaptive computer generated forces: The effect of increasing task reactivity on human and machine control abilities. GECCO01.  PDF

Trafton, J. G., Schultz, A. C., Bugasjska, M. D., Gittens, S., & Mintz, F. E. (2001). An Investigation of How Humans and Machines Deal with Increases in Reactivity. The 10th Conference on Computer Generated Forces and Behavioral Representation.  PDF

Contact:

Greg Trafton, Co-Investigator

Alan C. Schultz, Co-Investigator