Persistent predictor apparatus and methods for task switching

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for training and/or operating a robotic device to perform a target task autonomously. The target task execution may be configured based on analysis of sensory context by the robot. Target action may comprise execution of two or more mutually exclusive actions for a given context. The robotic device may be operable in accordance with a persistent switching process. For a given sensor input, the switching process may be trained to select one of two or more alternative actions based on a prior action being executed. Switching process operation may comprise assigning priorities to the available tasks based on the sensory context; the task priorities may be modified during training based on input from a trainer. The predicted task priorities may be filtered by a “persistent winner-take-all process configured to switch from a current task to another task based on the priority breaching a switching threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to effectuate training of a learning component configured to operate a robotic apparatus, the instructions configured to, when executed cause the one or more processors to:
 provide a first control output, the first control output configured to cause the robotic apparatus to execute a first action;   receive a feature occurrence information;   configure a learning component to produce a predicted output based on an occurrence of a feature in the feature occurrence information, the predicted output configured to cause the robotic apparatus to execute a second action;   evaluate a training input indicative of a target action;   determine a second control output based on a combination of the training input and the predicted output, the second control output configured to maintain execution of the first action by the robotic apparatus;   provide the second control output to the learning component; and   adapt the learning component in accordance with a discrepancy measure between the second control output and the predicted output to effectuate training of the learning component;   wherein the adaptation of the learning configuration is configured to cause the learning component to produce the second control output upon the occurrence of the feature during execution of the first action.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a combined output is determined by an overriding combiner component configured to produce:
 the combined output corresponding to the training input when the training input comprises a non-trivial indication; and 
 the combined output corresponding to the predicted output when the training input comprises a trivial indication. 
   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the non-trivial indication comprises a non-zero signal. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the trivial indication comprises a zero-valued signal. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a combined output is characterized by an active state configured to cause the robotic apparatus to execute the second action; and an inactive state configured to be ignored by the robotic apparatus; and   the combined output is effectuated by a combiner component operable in accordance with a state-persistent process characterized by a threshold, the process configured to:
 produce the active state of the combined output when a combination of the training input and the predicted output breaches the threshold; and 
 produce the inactive state of the combined output when the combination of the training input and the predicted output does not breach the threshold. 
   
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the active state comprises a positive value; and   the inactive state comprises a negative value.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the predicted output comprises a first vector comprised of a first component configured to activate the first action, and a second component configured to activate the second action;   the training input comprises a second vector comprised of a plurality of components;   the combined output comprises a third vector comprised of a plurality of components; and   the threshold of the state-persistent process is performed on a component-by component basis.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein a sum of the plurality of components of the third vector is one. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein
 first components of the first vector are selected from a first range between negative one and positive one inclusive;   third components of the third vector are selected from the first range between negative one and positive one inclusive; and   second components of the second vector are selected from a second range between negative two and positive two inclusive.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein a combined output is generated by an additive combiner component configured to produce the combined output, the additive combiner component configured to generate a combination of the training input when the training input comprises a non-trivial indication; and the predicted input when the predicted output comprises a non-trivial indication. 
     
     
         11 . A robotic apparatus comprising:
 a sensor interface configured to receive sensor data related to an environment of the robotic apparatus;   an interface configured to receive a training input;   a feature detection component;   an output prediction component in operable communication with the feature detection component and the interface, the output prediction component comprising logic configured to, based on a feature detection indication produced by the feature detection component, to produce a first task activation indication and a second task activation indication; and   a switching component configured to, for the feature detection indication:
 evaluate a current active task indication; 
 based on the current active task indication corresponding to a third task, provide a task activation output comprising the first task activation indication; and 
 based on the current active task indication corresponding to a fourth task, provide the task activation output comprising the second task activation indication; 
 wherein:
 the third and the fourth tasks differ from one another so as to produce outcomes different from one another. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first, the second, the third and the fourth tasks differ from one another so as to produce outcomes different from one another. 
     
     
         13 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first, the third and the fourth tasks differ from one another so as to produce outcomes different from one another. 
     
     
         14 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first and second actuator operably coupled to the switching component;   wherein the first task activation output is configured to activate the first actuator; and the second task activation output is configured to activate the second actuator.   
     
     
         15 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein
 the first actuator activation is configured to displace the robotic apparatus from a first coordinate to a second coordinate, and the second actuator activation is configured to displace the robotic apparatus from the first coordinate to a third coordinate substantially different from the second coordinate.   
     
     
         16 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the robotic apparatus is characterized by a state;   the first activation indication is configured to modify a current instance of the state to a first state; and   the second activation indication is configured to modify the current instance of the state to a second state, the second state being different from the first state.   
     
     
         17 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the state is characterized by a state parameter selected from the group consisting of a position of the robotic apparatus, a characteristic of motion of the robotic apparatus, and an orientation of the robotic apparatus. 
     
     
         18 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising a first mechanical element and a second mechanical element;
 wherein the state is characterized by a state parameter conveying information related to mutual orientation of the first and the second mechanical element.   
     
     
         19 . The robotic apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising a mechanical element characterized by a dimension of a plurality of possible dimensions; and
 wherein the state comprises a first dimension.