Main Intelligence Questions

General points:
Typically expect to describe approaches in outline and to be able to discuss strengths and
weaknesses of competing methods. Use examples of typical applications to illustrate the
points made and put in context. Compare and contrast different approaches.
However the lecture slides for the Evolutionary Computing lecture include some extra slides
(the last four) giving more detail on Evolution Strategies and Genetic Algorithms and on the
Biological inspiration for these algorithms. It is recommended that you revise these subjects.
___________________________________________________________________________
QUESTION 1
A

Compare and contrast fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks as paradigms for
approximate machine reasoning. To illustrate your answer, briefly consider, in general
terms, what form of knowledge is required in each case to build a controller for an
application of your choice.
[9 marks]

Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) Artificial Neural Networks display global

characteristics for learning and feedforward neuron-activation, whereas Radial Basis
Function Artificial Neural Networks are local learning and activation architectures.
Discuss this statement.
[9 marks]

What is meant by underfitting and overfitting during learning, in Multi-Layer

Perceptron (MLP) Artificial Neural Networks?
[7 marks]

Compare and contrast the Genetic Algorithm and Evolution Strategy

approaches to Evolutionary Computation, in terms of the relative importance
of the operators you described above, and inherent suitability for classes of
application.
(8 marks

QUESTION 2

Describe how the operators of selection (or evaluation), crossover (or recombination),
and mutation, can be used together to create an Evolutionary Computation algorithm.
[9 marks]

Compare and contrast the Genetic Algorithm and Evolution Strategy approaches to
Evolutionary Computation, in both their internal operation and inherent suitability for
classes of application.
[8 marks]

Compare and contrast lifetime and population based approaches to Reinforcement

Learning.
[8 marks]

QUESTION 3

Contrast supervised and unsupervised learning, in the context of artificial neural

networks, using examples to illustrate the concepts.
[8 marks]

Explain how recurrent connections, like those used in the Elman ANN, augment the
basic idea of an artificial neural network?
[7 marks]

Explain the operation of an Adaptive Resonance Theory neural network.

[10 marks]

Briefly explain the operation of a Kohonen artificial neural network.

[10 marks]

Mechanics Questions
QUESTION 4
A

A robot has to do a pick and place task on a fruit conveyor. The task 30 marks
requirements include fruit picking, moving the fruit in a compartment
with an imaging sensor for detection of its ripeness and placing it in
one of two storage boxes on the other side of the conveyor. Design a
serial robot for these tasks and justify your rationale. Determine the
number of DOFs, types of joints, and the overall robot structure.
Sketch the robot, define its forward kinematics using the DH
convention and describe its dynamics using one of the methods taught
on the course.

QUESTION 5
Consider the planar PR arm in the figure Q2b:

P0

Find the origin of frame {3} expressed in terms of frame {0}, 3 .

Hint: you can derive this geometrically, if you want to avoid going through DH
parameters.

ii

Find the 2 2 Jacobian that relates the joint velocities to the linear velocity of

P 03 .
iii

For what joint values is the manipulator at a singularity?

iv

How is the motion restricted at this singularity?

Figure Q2b
QUESTION 6

A two joint planar manipulator has link lengths l 1=2 units and l2=1 unit. The end point
of the manipulator is required to travel with constant velocity from the point (

) to the point (
,
) along the straight line
. Find
the linear approximation to the path in joint space which produces this trajectory if the
IK solutions for two positions are:

,
B

Discuss 2 methods for manipulator control.

QUESTION 7
A

Write the homogeneous transformation that represents the forward kinematics of the
system shown in Figure 4a using the Denavit-Hartenberg convention. Label all
origins, links, and joints as appropriate (label the joint variables through starting at
the base). Make sure that you include your DH table.

Other possible questions

QUESTION 8
The, so called, cart-pole problem of driving a cart on a linear track so as to balance
an inverted pendulum at a desired position on the track, is well-known in the
Intelligent Control and reinforcement learning research literature, see the diagram
below for an illustration. Barto, Sutton and Anderson used this problem to illustrate
some of their neural network based reinforcement learning paradigms in the 1980s.

From: Barto, A.G., Sutton, R.S., & Anderson, C. (1983). Neuron-like adaptive elements that can solv

This work, carried out by Barto et al uses a problem defined earlier by Michie &
Chambers. The cart-pole model had the following state-variables;
x

position of the cart on the track

angle of the pole with the vertical

cart velocity

rate of change of angle (pole angular velocity)

A controller can apply an impulsive left or right force, F, of fixed magnitude to the
cart at any discrete time interval, i.e., a bang-bang controller. This problem was
simplified by dividing the state-variable ranges into a set of discrete-bordered
boxes, according to the following rules that establish hard thresholds between
boxes for each variable;
x

0.8, 2.4 metres

0, 1, 6, 12 degrees

0.5, metres/second

50, degrees/second

This yields 3 x 3 x 6 x 3 = 162 boxes or state-variable regions.

In Michie & Chambers earlier solution to this problem, each of these regions was
filled with either a left (-F) or right (+F) force action.
Clearly a reinforcement learning algorithm could be applied to this problem, to
automate the process of attaching a value to the possibility of applying a left or right
force in each state-variable box. Reinforcement would be delivered on a repeated
trial and error basis, using a time to failure measurement for the system.
A

Why do you think that a delayed reinforcement learning algorithm is required

for this problem?
(8 marks)

Why would it be useful to use a neural network, as Barto et al proposed in

their enhancement of Michie & Chambers system, to store a value map of
whether to apply a left or right force as the cart-pole moves through the statevariable space?
Hint: You do not need to focus on what type of neural network is used here,
just concentrate on the general properties of a neural network that are
useful for this class of problem.
(8 marks)

As an alternative to a reinforcement learning neural network based approach,

how do you think that a hand-designed fuzzy controller could be used to build on
and enhance Michie & Chambers original design?
(9 marks)

QUESTION 9
A

Describe the main component parts of a Mamdani-style Fuzzy Logic system.

[9 marks]

Discuss the statement that Mamdani-style Fuzzy Logic saves traditional,

linguistically expressed, production-rule systems from the curse of brittleness.
[7 marks]

Compare and contrast Tagaki-Sugeno Fuzzy Systems and Mamdani Fuzzy Systems,
including an analysis of their application domains.
[9 marks]

QUESTION 10
Consider the following hypothetical situation. You are to work in a design team to
devise an automated on-line anaesthesia control system for human patients. It will
continuously control the rate of supply of an oral anaesthetic, for use during long
operations. It has been decided that the controller will be implemented using a fuzzy
systems approach. The controller will have the following inputs and outputs;
INPUTS
Blood pressure
Pulse rate
Respiratory (breathing) rate

OUTPUTS
anaesthetic supply rate
alarm signal level

Increased rate of anaesthetic supply will have a tendency to reduce all of these
inputs. Clearly if any of the inputs becomes too low, then there is danger to the
patients survival. In contrast, allowing any of the inputs to rise to too high a level
runs the risk that the patient may become conscious. There are certain, mid-value
ranges for each of these inputs, wherein the patient is safe, but unconscious.
A

Draw some diagrams showing a first estimate of what could be useful

Membership Function distributions and shapes for each of the input and
output domains of discourse.
NB
You need not mark the ranges of these domains of discourse,
this would be a detailed design decision, we are only interested in the
number and form of the Membership Functions here.
(11 marks)

During normal operation the controller should raise the rate of anaesthetic
supply if any of the three input values becomes high. Write down an
appropriate rule structure for this scenario, using names for the membership
functions, defined above in part A of this question, as appropriate. If a single
rule is used to achieve this, be careful to use the correct conjugation operator
between the conditional (antecedent) parts of the rule.
(7 marks)

To trap any error conditions due to this automatic control system operating
wrongly or due to some other unexpected conditions, if all of the inputs
approach certain critical low levels together, the alarm signal should sound,
and get louder as the situation worsens. The loudness level can then be
related to the truth levels of rules in the fuzzy system. Write down an
appropriate worst case rule for this scenario wherein all of the inputs have
become critical, using the membership functions defined above in part A of
this question, as appropriate.
(7 marks)

QUESTION 11

Using hand-drawn diagrams where appropriate, describe the basic

functionality of a single-input/single-output Radial Basis Function neural
network operating during its forward pass. Assume that the network uses
truncated Gaussian basis functions, or spline functions, to achieve compact
support..
(9 marks)

Describe how the curse of dimensionality would adversely affect the basic
functionality you have described above as the number of inputs to the neural
network is increased. Discuss methods for alleviating this curse.
(8 marks)

QUESTION 12
This question is focused on the processes of designing an Intelligent Controller. Consider the
following hypothetical situation - which is a simplified version of recent research. You are to design a
controller for a sea-going tanker ship. It is to control the heading (that is, the direction) of the ship and
its velocity through the water.
NB:
In the text below, abbreviated names for all the signals are given in brackets, you can use
these abbreviations in your answer.
The controller will have four inputs

The controller will have two outputs

error in the ship heading (head_e)

rudder control signal (rudder_delta), expressed

as a change from the current angle

change in that error (head_ec)

engine power control signal (power_delta),

expressed as a change from the current power

error in the ship velocity (vel_e)

change in that error (vel_ec)
We want the tanker ship heading (head) to track a required reference input heading (head_r) and its
velocity

(vel)

to

track

required

reference

input

velocity

(vel_r).

Although, for the purposes of answering this question, we do not need to be specific about the
important information that would be needed for a detailed design exercise, you may assume that the
controller of this multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system needs to make complex non-linear inputoutput mappings. Because of these complexities, you are working on an approach to the design of this
controller that is to use Intelligent Control techniques. You are considering use of the following
alternative architectures;

(i)

Mamdani Fuzzy Logic

(ii)

Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

Specify a preliminary design for each of the two architectures above. Make sure to note any

aspects of the design you would leave variable until implementation and testing of the design,
alternatives for these variations, and how they might be evaluated. However, do not be vague. Be sure
to describe your design as precisely as possible, clearly stating any assumptions you have made.
[18
B

marks]

Let us consider an additional complication. It has been observed that the very large mass of

the tanker ship, compared with the strengths of the engine and rudder as control effectors, make this a
system with complex dynamics. It has been decided that improvements can be made by taking into
account past inputs to the controller and past outputs from the controller, as additional controller
inputs. Do not focus on details of any control methodology but, instead, describe approaches that

could be adopted to enhance the fuzzy or Artificial Neural Network structures so as to allow this
complication to be taken into account.

[7 marks]

QUESTION 13

A mobile robot designer is tasked with creating a topographical (metric) cognitive mapping
system, in which the robot moves around in its environment, learns about the locations of
good and bad things it finds, as well as paths which lead to the good things and away from
the bad things. The designer decides to use a potential field cognitive map to store this
knowledge, embedding it into an Adaptive Heuristic Critic Temporal Differences (TD)
reinforcement learning architecture.

What will the pros and cons be of using TD() with > 0 in this problem domain?
[8 marks]

Assuming that the designer begins with a coarsely discretised grid world, what
problems will the designer come across as the world needs to be more and more finely
partitioned?
[9 marks]