A Cognitive Map for an
Artificial Agent
Unmesh Kurup
RPI
kurupu@rpi.edu
B. Chandrasekaran
The Ohio State University
chandra@cse.ohio-state.edu
Overview
• Cognitive map
– Features
– Goals
• biSoar architecture
– Cognitive Map in biSoar
– Examples
Cognitive Map
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
– Layout of a city
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
– Layout of a city or a building
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
– Layout of a city or a building
• Supports a number of problem solving tasks.
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
– Layout of a city or a building
• Supports a number of problem solving tasks.
– Route-finding: How can I get to the Radisson from
here?
• Exit the hotel, Take a left, Right at 23rd St, Right on Clark.
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
– Layout of a city or a building
• Supports a number of problem solving tasks.
– Geo Recall: Is your hotel to the west of this hotel?
Cognitive Map
• Representation of large-scale space
– Layout of a city or a building
• Supports a number of problem solving tasks.
– Finding shortcuts: Is there a shorter way to my
hotel?
• Possible: Take a right on 20th st.
Features of the Cognitive Map
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
If you take a left on Crystal Dr, you will
get to the intersection of Crystal Dr and
23rd St
If you take a right on 23rd St, you will get
to the intersection of 23rd St and Clark.
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– manageable
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable
If you take a left on Crystal Dr, you will
get to the intersection of Crystal Dr and
23rd St
If you take a right on 23rd St, you will get
to the intersection of 23rd St and Clark.
vs
If you take a right on Clark you will get
to your hotel
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable, updateable,
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable, updateable,
If you take a left on Crystal Dr, you will
get to the intersection of Crystal Dr and
23rd St
If you take a right on 20th St, you will get
to the intersection of 20th St and Clark.
If you take a right on 23rd St, you will get
to the intersection of 23rd St and Clark.
If you take a right on Clark you will get
to your hotel
New info? Just add it!
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable, updateable, composable
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable, updateable, composable
If you take a left on Crystal Dr, you will
get to the intersection of Crystal Dr and
23rd St
If you take a right on 20th St, you will get
to the intersection of 20th St and Clark.
If you take a right on Clark you will get
to your hotel
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable, updateable, composable
• Has both symbolic and metric aspects
Features of the Cognitive Map
• Non-holistic
– Manageable, updateable, composable
• Has both symbolic and metric aspects
If you take a left on Crystal Dr, you will
get to the intersection of Crystal Dr and
23rd St
Goals
• Capture features
– A non–holistic representation with both
symbolic and metric aspects
Goals
• Capture features
– A non–holistic representation with both
symbolic and metric aspects
• Cognitive architecture approach
biSoar
A Bimodal Cognitive Architecture
biSoar
• Soar + Diagrammatic Representation
System (DRS)
DRS - Diagrammatic Representation
System (Chandra et. al. 2004)
• Diagrams consist of three types of objects – Points, Curves &
Regions.
DRS - Diagrammatic Representation
System (Chandra et. al. 2004)
• Perceptual routines allow extraction of
relationships between objects in the
diagram.
– Ex: LeftOf, RightOf etc
• Action routines allow the diagram to be
modified
– AddPoint, AddCurve etc
biSoar
World
Soar
Working Memory:
Block (A), Block (B), Block
(C), On (A,B), On (B,C)
Selected Operator: None
biSoar
Soar WM
DRS
Working Memory
Symbolic component:
Block (A), Block (B), Block
(C), On (A,B), On (B,C)
Selected Operator: None
Diagrammatic
component
A
B
C
LTM and Learning in biSoar
• No change to LHS of LTM rules in biSoar
• RHS can extract information from or modify
diagrammatic component as well.
– If a and b are clear and goal is on(a,b) then
translate(a on b)
• Chunking in the bimodal case is straightforward.
biSoar
• Soar + Diagrammatic Representation
System (DRS)
• biSoar does not do
– Any sort of image processing
– Object recognition
• Assumes
– a diagrammatic representation (DRS form) of
the input is available.
Representing LSS in biSoar
If goal is find_next_location and curr location is x and
traveling in direction Dx on route Rx, then
destination is location y, diagram is DRSx
Representing LSS in biSoar
If goal is find_next_location and curr location is A and traveling in
direction Dx on route Rx, then
destination is location B, diagram is DRSx
R4
R5
R1
R3
R2
If goal is find_next_location
and curr location is R2R5
and traveling Right on
Route R2, then destination
is P2, diagram is DRS1
Examples – Route-finding
• Given a map, find route from P1 to P2
Route-finding Strategy
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
locate the starting & destination locations
in the map
make the starting location the current
location
Find the routes on which the current
location lies
For each route, find the directions of
travel
for each route and direction of travel, find
the next location
calculate the Euclidean distance between
these new locations and the destinations
pick the location that is closest to the
destination and make that the current
point
repeat 3-8 until destination is reached
Learning while route-finding
Example rules learned during wayfinding
Within-task transfer
• Task1 – P1 to R3R5
R4
R1
R3
R2
R5
Within-task transfer
• Task1 – P1 to R3R5, Task2 – P4 to P2
R4
R1
R3
R2
R5
Within-task transfer
• Task1 – P1 to R3R5, Task2 – P4 to P2
• New route-finding task – P4 to R3R5
R4
R1
R3
R2
R5
Between-task transfer
• Geographic Recall problem
• What’s the spatial relation between R1R3 and
R3R5?
Finding short-cuts
R4
R1
R3
R2
If goal is find_routes and at
R2R5 then there is a route r5 in
the up direction.
Finding short-cuts
R4
R1
If goal is find_routes and at
R2R5 then there is a route r5 in
the up direction.
R3
R2
Find route from P2 to
P5
Finding short-cuts
R4
R1
If goal is find_routes and at
R2R5 then there is a route r5 in
the up direction.
R3
R2
Find route from P2 to
P5
R3
R5
R2
Conclusion
• biSoar’s CM (representation of LSS)
– Is non-holistic
– has metric and non-metric information
– Can be used to solve a variety of tasks
involving LSS.
– Supports learning and transfer of learned
information within and between tasks.
Thanks!