Reactive robots and amnesics: A comparative study in memoryless behavior

Reactive robot behavior has been claimed as a model of memoryless intellige nce. Using recent results highlighting the cyclic conflicts in such systems , we throw light on similar phenomena in biology such as human amnesic beha vior. In this paper, we present a formal characterization of cycles in the temporal sequence of memoryless behaviors and show that attempts to elimina te cycles result in less powerful behavior systems. Conversely, more powerf ul behavior systems are more likely to exhibit cyclicity. Such systems can be viable in performing simple tasks only by using the world as an external memory. Our results also provide useful insights into a better design of s trategies for the treatment of amnesics, "These memoryless robots will exhibit certain behavioral maladjustments, si nce, having no memory, they cannot react to events occurring over an interv al of time. What reaction is suitable to a given input may depend on previo us inputs, and such distinctions are a closed book to the memoryless robot. Also, these robots might easily get hung up or trapped even in a completel y inanimate environment,"-James Culbertson, 1963 [10], "Amnesics are conspicuously inaccurate in recalling the order of past event s, and at times quite astoundingly imperceptive of the recurrences of simil ar occasions."-George Talland, 1965 [32].