Midterm Proposal: Imprinting

For my midterm project, I plan on expanding upon the curiosity aspect of the vehicle I created for the previous Braitenberg Vehicle lab. Originally, I had the bot move forward if the ultrasound sensors detect an object within a certain distance from the bot, and away if the object moves too close. However, one aspect of this that I want to improve upon was that the bot only moved in a straight line, which was quite limiting in terms of interactivity with the user. 

In terms of the midterm, I plan to have the bot follow an object if it appears within a specific threshold, and turn accordingly, so that it feels more ‘real’ by actually moving towards and turning with the object. If it does not detect something nearby, I will have the bot’s servo head move left and right, so that it seems like it is ‘searching’ for something. 

The animal behavior that I want to mimic is the method of imprinting, where certain animals form attachments the moment they are born, usually with the first organism they see. This is especially noticeable with ducklings:

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