1. Proposal number Proposal six 2. Should this proposal be considered for the Best Proposal prize? (yes/no) Yes 3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the overall organization/clarity of the proposal? (1-10) 7 4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the overall project idea? (1-10) 8 Feedback: * Overall, is the proposal clear, concise, and well-organized? The proposal seemed very detailed and descriptive. I wouldn't say it is too concise they could remove a lot of extra detail and make sections more to the point, 21 pages is a long proposal. I'm not seeing how the first and third goal relates to the title of the project. The organization seemed to flow according to the proposal guidelines. * Does the proposal meet the posted proposal guidelines? They seemed to follow the format laid out in the project proposal guidelines. * How does the project idea fit within the framework of Developmental Robotics? The project has three main goals that are trying to be accomplished: 1. Develop mathematical apparatus for self-detection based on information theory. This seems very inline with the subject matter of developmental robotics. Self-detection is currently a major research focus within this subject. 2. Show that reduction in uncertainty can guide skill acquisition. Yes, this idea fits within the framework. 3. Formulate a research question about phase transitions in robotic systems that learn and develop. Yes. * Describe what you like BEST about the project idea. Seems like a very ambitious project and well thought out. The path forward seems concrete and well researched. * Describe what you like LEAST about the project idea. It seems like your second goal was already accomplished with results which I don't see as something Page 2 suitable to put in for a proposal since it's already done. If you have more plans with this that I may have missed then I would include that with your goals. * Do you have any concerns about the project? I mentioned before this seems ambitious but you know your limits and abilities and I don't. It also seems like three different projects within this proposal. Each goal seems like it could be a project in and of itself. * Does it seem doable in the remaining time? I know I wouldn't be able to accomplish all three goals by the end of this course. I would have actually chosen to perform one of the three goals mentioned in the report and focused on that for this class. It also would have cut down a lot on the length of the proposal. * Does it seem too difficult? Coming up with a new mathematical formula for self-detection seems pretty tough along with the other two goals they are trying to achieve. They do seem to have a good foundation in their research and seem to understand what they are trying to undertake. For me I know it would be too difficult. * Are there any major details left out? They seemed to cover all the major details of their project and gave very detailed descriptions. * Does the idea rely upon technologies that are not currently available? Doesn't seem so. They have all the technology readily available it seems to accomplish this project. * Do you have any suggestions for improvement? The only thing I would offer as a suggestion, and simply for the proposal is there is a lot of details that could be part of your final report. A proposal should be shorter and simply explain the main points of the projects and briefly highlight the methods that will be used. * Do you have any suggestions for related work that should be cited? None. * Any other comments or suggestions? None.