Second, because I think they're cool
Third, because you watch TV and see them being used in factories,
large corporations, NASA, and the military. You can watch them all
you want, but you can't touch... without spending massive money.
And even then you probably won't know how it works, and it will
only do the mundane things it was pre-programmed to do (and most of
the time, it was programmed in a proprietary language, and they won't
give up the compiler).
My goal is to create something that anyone
with the desire can build (a little technical inclination will help).
The tools I'm using to create it are freely available. And I'm
going to post all of my designs and source code on this site.
The Alpha programming will be done using simple BASIC programs. Then
I'm going to switch to C++ (Using the GNU C++ compiler under Linux).
BASIC is readily available on any DOS/Windows machine (Microsoft QBASIC).
And both Linux and GNU C++ is free on the web also (but I do recommend
getting a CD copied from a friend, or shelling out the $50 to buy Red Hat
Linux in a pretty package with a manual). I'm not going to charge anything
for the use of the codes or designs, but I'm going to place it under the
same terms as Linux, the GNU license. I don't want money from this
(although I'd be happy to accept donations). What I want is
to give anyone with the desire who doesn't know where to start a place
to start.
I just want to be listed in the credits :)
What I DON'T want is for someone to take what I've done and sell it
for unreasonable pricing claiming it to be their own. But don't get
me wrong. If you learn from my basic designs and go on to create a
robot that can walk and talk and sweep the floor and sell them @ $5K a
pop, then more power to you! Just remember that there were people
there to help you in the beginning, and there will be people needing
help after you. Don't look down upon them.
I can't help it if I sound naive. I probably am. Keep reading on...
Another part of my project is something that most people would probably
laugh at by today's standards. I grew up on Star Trek and then later fed
on the likes of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and
William Gibson. It is my intent that from the ground up these
creations be built with the understand that they are for the good.
If you've read the J1 whitepaper,
you've seen that morals and ethics are inherent in the
basic design structure.
If ethics rulesets are implemented in the basic core, then as it grows inevitably complex it will be very easy to keep the thought structure and reasoning systems moral. OK, it sounds strange. It sounds really strange. However, I don't want someone to design a rampage machine which is smarter than Rover, and has a bazooka mounted on top roaming the streets. It's a grand exaggeration, but I think it reflects my point. Here's a more down to earth example. You want to fetch something from Jane, whose office is on the other side of this floor. The shortest route from here to there is through Bob's office. However Bob is the Press Secretary, and if he has the Ambassador from Iraq in his office, the interruption of J1 cruising through the office would make for a complex situation. Now, imposing a ruleset on the robot which states "Bob's office is off-limits during business hours", it would calcuate not the shortest route, but the best one. In fact, if you know that the moron in room 502 would step on your creation and say that he/she didn't see it, you could avoid that section of the floor entirely! I think Asimov did it best with his 3 rules of robotics. In every process the robot computed, it had to pass the test of 3 rules. Basically, the idea was to create a robot free to do what it wants, as long as it doesn't harm a human being, or harm itself (I'm going to have to consult the books :) ). Naive as it sounds, it is my firm intent.