The plan has changed a lot over the last few months as I have refined it continually. I am settling on this for now. I am learning as I write it. It will cover the basics of coding without any equipment or components using Processing which is ‘open source’ which means it is free (although you can donate). Then move onto the Arduino Uno and using C++ to look at physical computing and robotics. This then connects with processing so [...]
Robotics can just languish in the realm of automated machines that can operate in a factory building cars 24/7 without the need for a tea break. When they are attached to a computer coupled with some clever coding they suddenly have a life of their own. They can think, they can learn and they can adapt. It is the harnessing of these two that has caught the imagination of the world. It has generated a large amount of debate, especially [...]
The way the computer attempts to replicate intelligence is through a Neural Network (NN) similar to the brain. This Network is grouped in layers. An Input layer, an Output layer and Hidden layers. In the example we will be covering the computer looks at a handwritten number between 0 and 9. It struggles to work out what this number is because there are so many badly written ways that you or I can easily work out as the number 7 [...]
Artificial Intelligence is in some way trying to replicate the human brain using computers. The brain isn’t wired quite the same as a computer and vice versa. So it can’t work in exactly the same way but instead it has a good stab at trying to replicate it. To achieve this programmers (coders) have created Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) based around the brain’s neural network. The brain fires neaurons which carry small electrical charge, this can be replicated. It is [...]
Artificial Intelligence is also called Machine Learning. We have a concept that machines just do what they are programmed or made to do. We don’t consider that they can learn from their mistakes like humans do or at least you would hope so. Computers have been seen as very fast adding machines able to crunch numbers and large amounts of data at great speed. Machines generally have a very fixed purpose, a car does one thing very well you don’t [...]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for as long as there has been modern computers. Alan Turin who was one of the code breakers at Bletchley during the war was considered the founder of the maodern computer and there is a test called the Turin Test. In this test he considers a machine to the intelligent when it can answers questions so well that that the person asking them doesn’t realise that it is not human. What we have instead [...]
Artificial Intelligence AI for short is constantly in the news. It is both admired and feared at the same time but what is it and is it something that is going solve all our problems or create bigger ones. The future is very unclear and that brings uncertainty. As Humans we like to feel we are in control. We have machines which we control, a car, a washing machine etc. The thought that a machine could think for itself or [...]
Robotics has been with us for a very long time. Mostly they have just performed automated and repetitive roles in a factory. However, we have tried to make them more sophisticated to be life like. There are countless films that depict robots that can emulate people. The reality is a long way from that. No matter how people feel about them. The reason why there is currently a growing interest is because the processing power of computers as increased exponentially [...]
The Internet of Things or IoT for short is the means by which we can control devices over the internet. It can also be how one machine talks to another sometimes called Machine to Machine or M2M for short. Smart houses often use this to control the heating for example by using your phone to switch the heating on or control the temperature. This is just one application of the technology. There is a vast array of uses. If you [...]