Learning in and from Brain-Based Devices
Gerald M. Edelman
Biologically based mobile devices have been constructed that
differ from robots based on artificial intelligence. These brain-based
devices (BBDs) contain simulated brains that autonomously categorize
signals from the environment without a priori instruction. Two
such BBDs, Darwin VII and Darwin X, are described here. Darwin
VII recognizes objects and links categories to behavior through
instrumental conditioning. Darwin X puts together the "what,""when,"
and "where" from cues in the environment into an episodic memory
that allows it to find a desired target. Although these BBDs
are designed to provide insights into how the brain works, their
principles may find uses in building hybrid machines. These
machines would combine the learning ability of BBDs with explicitly
programmed control systems.
