And a third attempts to realistically model how ants navigate, focusing in particular on their visual cues and use of landmarks. Another offers a simulated environment for practicing how to park a car, complete with steering wheel and pedal. Likewise, Russ said, the integrative approach of Empirical Modelling recommends itself for improving the safety of modern systems that require human involvement and as a platform for more imaginative pursuits.Īmong the dozens of departmental student projects available for downloading from the research group’s site, one simulates the buildup of traffic behind three traffic lights at a T junction. (Requires a Flash 9 download.)ĭeciphering Empirical Modelling’s core principles can be daunting for those unaccustomed to its jargon, reliance on definitions or unique programming language, though its backers believe its spreadsheet-like framework translates well to real-world applications.Īlthough not designed to yield definitive answers, the Clayton Tunnel exercise has nonetheless suggested that systemic problems may have arisen from the introduction of new technology and that the accident’s cause was not limited to human error alone. The game’s interactive element allows players to change the colors assigned to each digit and even brighten them during a game to see how the Sudoku board’s pattern changes accordingly, providing even more clues toward the solution. As a player fills in more numbers, the open squares change colors to reflect the new limitations - with a blend of red, brown and forest green perhaps serving as a shorthand note that either 1, 2 or 3 must belong in the square.Īn empty square colored the same as a completed square must contain the same digit, whereas a black square means the player has made a mistake. Squares with numbers already in place on the game board are colored accordingly, while each empty square assumes a blend of colors representing the possible digits that could go there. The new version has assigned a unique color to each numeral: 1 may be matched with red, for example, while 2 equals brown and 3 a forest green. In regular Sudoku, players try to correctly arrange the numerals 1 through 9 within a partially completed grid of 81 boxes. Color adds yet another dimension to the human problem-solving repertoire, in this case for a game normally associated with numbers. Plus, we often learn from our mistakes.įor Sudoku, understanding can emerge through a mix of perception, expectation, experience and logic - a combination Russ said is a far cry from how traditional computer programs would try to solve the puzzle. Our thought processes include reasoning, of course, but Russ said we’re always on the lookout for rumors, body language and other signs of potential deception that get built into our experience. “It’s not replacing it - it’s just saying there’s an awful lot more that we need computers for than just algorithms.”Įmpirical Modelling, he said, pays more attention to what humans take into account and provides a practical means to explore problems that aren’t so cut and dry. “It’s really, we believe, quite a radical alternative to computation,” said Steve Russ, a lecturer in computer science at the university. Nevertheless, its backers believe the unique take on programming could be harnessed for creative applications in artificial intelligence, computer graphics, automation and educational technology. The theme is central to what the scientists call Empirical Modelling, a 25-year-old approach that has yet to be widely embraced by the larger field of computer science.
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