C3: Communal Co-existence & Co-evolution
A New Paradigm for Robotics & Ecology
C3-Communal Co-existence & Co-evolution:
“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.”
― Wendell Berry
Summary:
Not since the invention of solid-state electronics, the micro-chip and the personal computer has a technology come along that will revolutionize the way we think about machines and how we use them. This revolution is the phytogenic cyborg.
A cyborg is a CYBernetic ORGanism. This means an organism with both biological and artificial parts. A phytogenic, meaning 'from plants', cyborg is a plant-machine hybrid. Such a device can react and interact with it's environment perfectly because it's neural-net, it's 'brain', is a living thing just like the other organisms in the biota. It does this not by a complex and, ultimately, imperfect computer program but by the responses recorded in it's DNA. No amount of programming can substitute for millions of years of trial and error. The responses 'programmed' in the plant DNA tell the robot what it needs at any time, what to do with it and where to get it. Phytogenic cyborgs 'live off the land', deriving what energy and materials it needs from the surrounding biota. It is NOT an industrial process that the ecosystem hopes to survive. It is an integral part of the ecosystem, making the ecosystem more vital and productive BECAUSE of its presence.
Why do this?
Such a device interacts productively with it's environment. Such robots are used to tend crops, clean polluted areas, restore wetlands & grasslands, grow food, grow sustainable materials, grow biofuels, and clean and/or desalinate seawater. They are able to interact with their environment as if they are a part of it because they, in fact, are a part of it. Just like any life-form in an environment they will consume wastes of some species and excrete products useful to other species. Unlike purely mechanical devices they are able to the detect stresses in their environment in real time, and impose limits on themselves so as not to destroy their environment.
Such robots are introduced into damaged ecospheres and operate as the missing part, such as megaflora, megafauna, sanitizer, or restorer, all the time producing useful products and services.
A.I. Architecture:
Ecosystems respond to changes in their environment by various physical means.
These can be detected by sensors. A phytogenic A.I. consists of (1) the 'control ecosystem'which is an ecosystem the robot maintains internally under ideal conditions. A hybrid analog-digital computer (2) monitors it. The computer also senses variations in the external ecosystem (3). It continuously calculates a "stress gradient" between the 2 ecosystems and reacts based on the results.
An ecosystem is not a discrete object. It is a name we give to the interaction among multiple species from all phylums. As such the "optimum conditions" for each species varies as it is influenced by weather, season AND it's interaction with other species. Therefore, the stress gradient is continuously changing. This implies that the "optimum" conditions are always a Nash Equilibrium.
The design is based on Heuristic Cybernetics. Heuristic Cybernetics is a method of robotic design where the artificial intelligence inference engine is expressed through several media simultaneously, such as:
1. Electronically
2. Electrically
3. Hydraulically
4. Pneumatically
5. Mechanically
6. Biologically
7. Chemically
As such the Artificial Intelligence Inference Engine can be made of valves, or diodes; levers or proteins. In fact, the A.I. can be expressed in multiple ways inside the same A.I. This means the A.I can be congruent with the robot itself. Such a device is then self-regulating, self-correcting and autonomous.
the Pelagos Project
2 New Earths
Imagine what it would be like if we suddenly had TWO more Earths to live on.Imagine a world were everyone has access to a good living. Imagine a world where food, clean water, clean energy and ultra-strong new materials are not only available in abundance, but at a cost easily affordable by anyone. Imagine a world where these vital products are produced by intelligent machines, controlled from home, but operating in remote fields, on lakes and rivers, or at sea. Imagine these products being used directly in the community, creating new, well-paying jobs, both blue and white collar. Imagine a world where a global network of people and their robots are linked together, sharing information and reacting to each others' problems at the speed of light. We have imagined such a world and created the technology to make it a reality. The Pelagos Project will make the equivalent of two new Earths for everyone.
Aurora Ranch
Making Deserts Bloom
Aurora Ranch is not an actual ranch. It is a technology and method
to use arable land for paraffin production that is extremely profitable,
yet restorative to the soil. Depleted land, such as over-used fields,
landfills, vacant land under power lines, is planted with clover and
other self-fertilizing plants. Their roots hold the soil together,
retain moisture and add nutrients that benefit other plants. Once
the clover is established robot 'cows' graze on it, mowing it and
consuming the clippings. These clippings are fed into a tank containing
algae and other natural organisms that convert the clippings into paraffin.
Additionally, edible plants can be cultivated inside the robot.
This fuel is stored until the robot is full. The robot then connects
to a tanker truck to unload the fuel. Food can be harvested at
this time as well. When the fuel & food is transferred the robot
dis-connects and returns to the fields.
The process that converts the biomass to high quality paraffin also
produces a residue that is an extremely high quality fertilizer. This is
periodically released from the robot back onto the land, restoring
the fertility. There is an added benefit to this revived soil. It is once
again capable of capturing carbon dioxide and burying it under ground
via it's root system. This can be done, at no cost, on a large
enough scale to significantly reduce the CO2 levels in the
atmosphere.
The robo-cows move along at less than 4 feet an hour so they
can be used in the same fields as animals. Every few days the fuel is
collected. By the time they return to that spot, the grass and
clover has regrown. During the winter, dead grass and fallen leaves are
consumed and fed into the live algae tank so food & fuel
production continues uninterrupted all year.
After a few seasons, what was barren depleted soil is now enriched
and thriving. Food crops can be grown without chemical fertilizers.
The 'cows' move on to other fields, or return at the end of the
growing season to glean the field.
New Water Aquaculture
Revolutionary Biological Desalination
“if we could ever competitively, at a cheap rate, get fresh water from saltwater” it would dwarf any other scientific accomplishments.” John F. Kennedy
New Water Aquaculture has done that.
The most important issue of this century will be water. The need for abundant, low-cost supplies of safe water is so intrinsic to human life it is not necessary to explain the need. What is changing is the availability of safe, low-cost water. Every aspect of human life and commerce is dependent upon water. All are interconnected in our modern, technological society, but increases in population and the general level of technological sophistication all over the world has increased demand, while environmental changes and irresponsible industrial and agricultural practices have decreased the supply. In fact, a crisis of supply is imminent on a global scale.
To avert this crisis, New Water LLC has developed and patented(U.S. Patent #7750494) and tested (see below)a revolutionary technology that will provide virtually unlimited supplies of safe, clean, potable water at costs comparable to traditional ground-based sources, but with sustainability and stewardship of the Earth as the most important criteria. This technology integrates robotic, engineered biospheres into a symbiotic relationship that can provide abundant supplies of safe, clean, low-cost water in a way that is sustainable. With this technology the company will construct, sell, lease or license complete desalination systems capable of supplying entire cities.
The design is simple in concept. A planned eco-system is constructed inside a greenhouse-like structure that uses renewable energy to maintain summer conditions 12 months per year. The eco-system is based on halophytic (salt-loving) plants, with additional species to maintain the health and vigor of the halophytes. In the normal course of their biology the halophytes transpire clean, salt-free, pathogen-free, water vapor into the greenhouse environment. Circulation fans move the vapor-laden air into special condensers where the vapor is liquified and either stored or pumped into a water supply. The only power used is sunlight on the plants and some power to operate the pumps and fans.
The primary plant grows in seawater and has a natural reverse-osmosis membrane around it's roots. You could describe it as a solar-powered R/O system that is self-repairing and self-replicating.
The only expenses are amortization and some minimal labor expense, yielding a production cost of only a few cents per thousand gallons.
