Introduction to the Forest of Sensors Project


What can a computer do with the basic senses we have?
To begin to answer this question the Vision Group of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab has launched the research project A Forest of Sensors. This project is designed to identify current limitations and expand the capabilities of computers to perceive and interpret the real world.


Why is this hard?
Humans have the "hard-wired" potential to track and make sense out of objects in the environment that has evolved over many millions of years. These hard-wired capabilities are realized in the context of real world experience. MIT's AI Vision Group is challenged both with trying to give computers the same "potential" AND providing them with real world experiences necessary to realize it.


Giving the computer eyes.
To help computers gain experience with the real world, researchers have given them eyes-a collection of cameras-through which they can see their surroundings. Taking in visual information through its cameras, the computer then tracks organizes the objects it sees.


Last modified: Wed Oct 25 16:18:40 EDT 2000