James S. Albus

A cutting-edge, multidisciplinary framework for intelligent systems While intelligence is a difficult concept to comprehend, research into its mechanisms and functions is rapidly exploding in both biological and artificial systems. This book introduces an original model of intelligent systems, integrating knowledge from diverse sources and developing a general theory that can be used for the analysis of all kinds of highly complex systems, from whole economies to integrated manufacturing. Intelligence as a computational phenomenon dwells upon grouping, focusing attention, and combinatorial search as its fundamental operators. In this groundbreaking work, Alex Meystel and James Albus, two of the foremost authorities in the field, draw on two decades of testing the theory in robots and other smart machines. (Dr. Meystel developed an autonomous Dune-Buggy in 1983—1987; Dr. Albus’s work forms the basis for the control system used in the Army Demo III Experimental Unmanned Ground Vehicle program, 1997—present.) Special coverage of the NIST-RCS (Real-time Control System) model is also featured in this liberally illustrated and clearly written book. Focusing on intelligence as a computational phenomenon with a multiresolutional architecture, Intelligent Systems: Architecture, Design, and Control promises to dramatically influence future research and development in intelligence worldwide. It is a one-of-a-kind resource for scientists, engineers, and anyone wishing to explore the contemporary theory and tools of computational intelligence.

Presenting a reference model architecture for the design of intelligent systems Engineering of Mind presents the foundations for a computational theory of intelligence. It discusses the main streams of investigation that will eventually converge in a scientific theory of mind and proposes an avenue of research that might best lead to the development of truly intelligent systems. This book presents a model of the brain as a hierarchy of massive parallel computational modules and data structures interconnected by information pathways. Using this as the basic model on which intelligent systems should be based, the authors propose a reference model architecture that accommodates concepts from artificial intelligence, control theory, image understanding, signal processing, and decision theory. Algorithms, procedures, and data embedded within this architecture would enable the analysis of situations, the formulation of plans, the choice of behaviors, and the computation of uncertainties. The computational power to implement the model can be achieved in practical systems in the foreseeable future through hierarchical and parallel distribution of computational tasks. The authors’ reference model architecture is expressed in terms of the Real-time Control System (RCS) that has been developed primarily at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Suitable for engineers, computer scientists, researchers, and students, Engineering of Mind blends current theory and practice to achieve a coherent model for the design of intelligent systems.

The complete engineering resource for implementing the NIST real-time control systems software library The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) real-time control systems (RCS) library is a highly useful tool for engineers developing and implementing hierarchical and distributed real-time control systems. This book serves as a user’s guide for development engineers using the software library in industrial applications. The RCS Handbook is divided into three parts. The first section provides a tutorial introduction to RCS that discusses the RCS design methodology and the Reference Model Architecture (RMA) on which the RCS library is based. The second section serves as an RCS handbook for applications engineers and features two illustrative design examples, coverage of issues in programming in Neutral Message Language (NML), and discussion of code generation and architecture files. The third section provides helpful appendices that provide useful background information on the C++ language, compilers and makefiles, and general operating system concepts. Suitable as a primary text for a course in real-time control or as a professional reference, The RCS Handbook is a one-of-a-kind resource that provides unparalleled coverage of the RCS library and practical solutions in high-tech automation.