Work began last week on the first prototype to identify landmark distance and motion from an egocentric perspective of a single bug, using the simulation software NetLogo v5.0.5. I tried as much as possible to avoid using built-in functions as I will not be able to do this when it comes to implementing the code in a embodied agent (if this project gets that far, that is). However, at this stage, I have used the in-built headings properties as a basis for calculating angles, but intend to replace these with a calculation based on the field of view of the bug instead.
The video below was taken using Screencast-O-Matic and shows the updates to the various plots as the bug moves through the environment:
The three plots cover three different perspectives:
- Landmark Distance
This shows the distance of the landmark from the bug, based on a calculation using the headings and one known distance value, namely the distance travelled by the bug between points A and B. - Landmark Motion
This shows the speed by which a landmark is passing the bug, based on a rate of change calculation using the change in heading between points A and B - Landmark View
This is a bit of a gimmick view, but uses a bar plot to draw the position of the landmarks in the bug’s view (currently 270 degrees), with the height changing according to distance.
For the coming week, the main focus is to take this a step further to see how the bug can remember its location and orientation after receiving information from its surroundings.