Chapter 39. Under the Influence

Key Topics

• Designing Artificial Emotions

• Finite-State Module Development

• Creating Emotions as Finite-States

• Evaluation

This chapter shows how combinations of finite-state machines can be used to create emotions. Two additional levels are added to the AI architecture. A low level generates sensations based on the perceptions, and an emotive layer keeps track of the primary emotions. The behavioral response of the animats is affected only by degradation of the senses and actions. Essentially, the emotions determine how effective the body parts are.

This emotional model influences the behaviors of the animats, providing more diversity and increasing their believability.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• A description of important stimuli from the environment and their corresponding sensations, as well as primary emotions and how to portray them.

• A data-driven finite-state module supporting finite-state machines and finite-state automata. Both functional interfaces and message passing are considered.

• Modeling of the emotions using the finite-state AI techniques and integrating the system within the previous architecture (that is, the behaviors developed so far).

• The effect of emotions on the creatures, and the system's limitations.

The prototype developed throughout this chapter reveals the benefits of emotions. This provides an elegant paradigm that is extended with better technology in Chapter 42, "An Emotional System."