Page Created: 01/13/20. Last Updated: 09/25/20.
PAUL CALHOUN
Links:
..........Official Site: https://rxevolution.me/
..........FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Chiscringle
..........GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7825667.Paul_Calhoun/blog
..........Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-calhoun-b4653b38
..........Twitter: https://twitter.com/rxevolutionrobo
..........AI Fan Fiction: HARRY POTTER & THE PORTRAIT OF WHAT LOOKED LIKE A LARGE PILE OF ASH by Botnik:
https://botnik.org/content/harry-potter.html
MEETING DETAIL
Meeting Date: May 9, 2020.
Meeting Site: Zoom Video Conference.
Attendance: 25.
Meeting Program: Talk / Q & A by Robotics, AI & Automation Expert / Fantasy Writer.
Newsletter Account
The following account is reprinted from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2020 Philip J De Parto:
The May 9, 2020 meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held as a Zoom Video Conference due to the restrictions caused by the corona virus. Robotics expert Paul Calhoun spoke and answered questions. Kathy Holusha served as the meeting moderator. Carol Gyzander handled the technical end of things.
Paul Calhoun is a graduate of the Carnegie-Mellon Robotics Institute and holds an MS in Robotic System Development. He has worked for the United States Navy and with defense contractors. His specialty is in the Ethics and Community Development of Embodied Robotics Systems in Traditionally Human Spaces. He is also the author of the techno-fantasy novel, THE FALL OF THE WIZARDS.
The first section of his talk dealt with self-driving vehicles. The key element here is on the functioning of the sensor array. A self-driving vehicle utilizes radar, binocular (stereo camera), ultrasonic, infrared/thermal, and lidar (laser reflection). He displayed the image data received by each of these sensors. He then focused on how the control systems interpreted this data, and showed how accidents and fatalities had occurred by incorrect interpretations with Tesla, Uber, and other vehicles. The Uber fatality in Tempe Arizona was particularly instructive. This was an instance of everything going wrong. The victim was a pedestrian who was walking his bicycle at night. There was nothing in the system's data base to identify this image as a person or thing to avoid.
The next part of our speaker's talk and slide show was Designing Robots for the Sidewalks and Streets: A Presentation on Community Engagement. In order for robotic delivery systems to work effectively, the designers must integrate four functions: Legibility (a person encountering the robot knows its intention), Predictability (a person understands how the robot intends to fulfill its task), Safety (the robot does not hurt a person while carrying out its task), and Accessibility (can the robot interact with people using walkers, wheelchairs, etc).
Problems arise when robots are designed to function properly in one environment without considering other environments. How does the delivery robot function in snow and ice, in crowded city sidewalks, with construction, with people who suffer from disabilities. The solution is Community Engagement, to meet with a wide cross section of people who will b interacting with the robot.
Part three of Paul's presentation dealt with Non-Explicit Direct Communication. This is defined as communication with a robot which does not entail traditional interaction with a robot by voice, keyboard, joystick, etc, but instead utilizes signals from the muscles, nerves, or brain. An example would be a prosthetic hand device. Our guest constructed an artificial tail which he could manipulate through his body muscles. While the device may sound silly, the basic technology may prove a godsend to people who have suffered amputations, spinal injuries, and other disabilities. It also lends itself to certain industrial and scientific uses.,
The evening concluded with a look at some of the quirkier areas of robotics and artificial intelligence. This includes robots who are praying and officiating at Buddhist services and the Botnik artificial intelligence bot which wrote a chapter of the Harry Potter novel: HARRY POTTER & THE PORTRAIT OF WHAT LOOKED LIKE A LARGE PILE OF ASH (link posted on the YouTube Video section of the club website).
After the end of the meeting proper, a group opf us went on a Virtual Diner Run where we chatted, and in at least one case, snacked, on a separate zoom session. This was a fun meeting. Our thanks to Paul Calhoun, to Carol Gyzander, to Kathy Holusha, and to Kathy Cannarozzi who set up the Virtual Diner Run.