Flakey the robot
{{Short description|Research robot}}
{{Infobox robot
| name = Flakey the robot
| logo =
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| image = Flakey the robot SRI.jpg
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| manufacturer = SRI International
| year_of_creation = 1985
| derived_from = Shakey the robot
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Flakey the robot was a research robot created at SRI International's Artificial Intelligence Center and was the successor to Shakey the robot. It is featured in a Scientific American Frontiers episode (Season 5, Episode 1).Scientific American Frontiers, Season 5, Episode 01: Life’s Big Questions, Released on 1994-10-05. See a transcript [https://web.archive.org/web/20230409012505/http://chedd-angier.com/frontiers/transcripts/Season5_501.pdf here] and a video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdju8NfcHqY here].
Software
Most of Flakey's routines were written in Lisp, with some lower-level code written in C.{{cite journal|citeseerx = 10.1.1.87.1641|title=CARMEL vs. Flakey: A Comparison of Two Robots | author1 = University of Michigan | author1-link = University of Michigan | author2 = SRI International |year=1994 | author2-link = SRI International }} The code maintains a "Local Perceptual Space" that is updated by the sensors and acted on by planning algorithms.{{cite journal|url=http://www.scs.ryerson.ca/~aferworn/courses/CPS607/CLASSES/FLAKEY.pdf|title=Some Notes on the Integration of Planning and Reactivity in Autonomous Mobile Robots|first=Alessandro|last=Saffiotti|publisher=SRI International|accessdate=2013-03-06}}
Hardware
It was about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, and included 12 sonar sensors, optical wheel encoders, a video camera, and a depth-finding laser.{{cite web|url=http://www.alpcentauri.info/Flakey.htm|title=Flakey|publisher=Alp Centauri|first=Jim|last=Mims|accessdate=2013-03-06|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234042/http://www.alpcentauri.info/Flakey.htm|url-status=dead}}
Research results
Flakey was used to demonstrate fuzzy logic and goal-oriented behavior - it would take what it knew and work towards one of several goals.{{cite journal|url=http://www.sri.com/work/publications/fuzzy-controller-flakey-autonomous-mobile-robot|title=A Fuzzy Controller For Flakey, An Autonomous Mobile Robot|date=March 1993|first1=Alessandro|last1=Saffiotti|first2=E.|last2=Ruspini|first3=Kurt G.|last3=Konolige|publisher=SRI International|accessdate=2013-03-06|archive-date=2013-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403180911/http://www.sri.com/work/publications/fuzzy-controller-flakey-autonomous-mobile-robot|url-status=dead}} At the first AAAI robotics competition in July 1992, Flakey took second place and the University of Michigan's CARMEL took first, above Georgia Tech's "Buzz" and IBM's "TJ2".
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