Adaptive Behavior and Structure
An aerospace system is robust if it can complete its mission and report back to Earth even when there are unanticipated difficulties. Aerospace engineers often try to design into their systems a capacity for adaptive behavior, the ability to change activity modes depending on needs and environment. For example, when walking on dry land, we save energy by swinging our legs but scarcely lifting our feet. When we need speed we switch to running mode, lifting our feet much higher. If we walk in water over our ankles we quickly discover it is easier to lift our feet out of the water before swinging our legs forward. Our new behavior, constrained by need, minimizes our energy expenditure in a new environment. We use our intelligence to adapt our behavior to new circumstances and requirements. Intelligent instruments should be able to imitate us.
Far beyond the goal of designing adaptive behavior into systems is the goal of designing systems that can change their form to meet new requirements. When our path lies across deep water, we adapt our behavior and swim, but we don’t grow longer toes with webbing between them. We walk on snow much as we walk in shallow water, lifting our feet before swinging our legs. But if we come to deep snow, we can’t just make our feet broader to keep from sinking in. Instead we strap snowshoes or skis on our feet. That is, we change our shoes, not our feet, to adapt to new conditions.
Do we ever change our own form? Yes, in a sense. Soldiers in basic training must slim down to fighting trim through exercise and diet. This helps them crawl through small tunnels and climb over high barriers. Within limits we can adapt our form to new conditions and purposes.
Some aerospace robots can adapt their behavior but very few can adapt their structure. We have to watch cartoons to see ordinary cars or airplanes turn into intelligent fighting robots.
Far beyond the goal of designing adaptive behavior into systems is the goal of designing systems that can change their form to meet new requirements. When our path lies across deep water, we adapt our behavior and swim, but we don’t grow longer toes with webbing between them. We walk on snow much as we walk in shallow water, lifting our feet before swinging our legs. But if we come to deep snow, we can’t just make our feet broader to keep from sinking in. Instead we strap snowshoes or skis on our feet. That is, we change our shoes, not our feet, to adapt to new conditions.
Do we ever change our own form? Yes, in a sense. Soldiers in basic training must slim down to fighting trim through exercise and diet. This helps them crawl through small tunnels and climb over high barriers. Within limits we can adapt our form to new conditions and purposes.
Some aerospace robots can adapt their behavior but very few can adapt their structure. We have to watch cartoons to see ordinary cars or airplanes turn into intelligent fighting robots.
