Autonomous Tortoises

Grey Walter built two electro-mechanical "tortise" robots, ELSIE and ELMER, each with an analog computer simulating a neural network for decision making. These early analog nervous systems were very simple, consisting of a touch or a light sensor, 2 "neurons", and 2 motors. These robots were nonetheless able to show a few lifelike behaviors- the ability to move to is goal, the ability to choose between various attractors, and the ability to explore its environment, though it could not record anything in memory. When combined with an electrical learning circuit, the robot gained the ability to be conditioned, such that an irrelevent stimulus repeatedly followed by a stimulus the robot typically would react to would eventually also cause the same reaction. 

Image and Information Retrieved from http://rutherfordjournal.org/article020101.html

Boden, Margaret. "Grey Walter's Anticipatory Tortises" The Rutherford Journal. Retrieved 8 March 2018

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

1956