Method, device and computer program for producing a strategy for a robot

A method, comprising:

• producing parameters of a neural network representing a strategy for controlling a robot so that a specifiable goal is reached when the robot performs actions based on the strategy, depending on a respective situation, the parameters of the neural network being produced by:
• initializing the strategy and an episode length;
• repeatedly executing a loop including the steps:
• producing a plurality of further strategies as a function of the strategy;
• applying the plurality of the further strategies for a respective at least one episode having the episode length;
• ascertaining, for each of the further strategies, a respective cumulative reward which is obtained when applying the respective further strategy;
• updating the strategy as a function of a specifiable number of the further strategies that obtained the greatest respective cumulative rewards;
• wherein the episode length is increased following each execution of the loop;
• storing the parameters representing the strategy in a memory connected to the neural network;
• and
• operating the robot using the neural network to activate an actuator of the robot to provide an action corresponding to the produced strategy as a function of a current state of the robot and/or a current state of an environment of the robot sensed by a sensor and provided to the neural network, the produced strategy being implemented by the neural network in that the neural network provides the action corresponding to the produced strategy from a state provided to the neural network.

A non-transitory machine-readable memory element on which is stored a computer program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method of training a neural network, the method comprising:

• producing parameters of the neural network representing a strategy to control a robot so that a specifiable goal is reached when the robot performs actions based on the strategy, depending on a respective situation, the producing including:
• initializing the strategy and an episode length;
• repeatedly executing a loop including the steps:
• producing a plurality of further strategies as a function of the strategy;
• applying the plurality of the further strategies for a respective at least one episode having the episode length;
• ascertaining, for each of the further strategies, a respective cumulative reward which is obtained when applying the respective further strategy;
• updating the strategy as a function of a specifiable number of the further strategies that obtained the greatest respective cumulative rewards;
• wherein the episode length is increased following each execution of the loop;
• and
• storing the parameters representing the strategy in a memory connected to the neural network.

A device, the device comprising:

• a processing unit configured to execute computer program instructions to control a method of training a neural network, the method including:
• producing parameters of the neural network representing a strategy to control a robot so that a specifiable goal is reached when the robot performs actions based on the strategy, depending on a respective situation, the producing including:
• initialize the strategy and an episode length;
• repeatedly execute a loop including:
• producing a plurality of further strategies as a function of the strategy;
• applying the plurality of the further strategies for a respective at least one episode having the episode length;
• ascertaining, for each of the further strategies, a respective cumulative reward which is obtained when applying the respective further strategy;
• and
• updating the strategy as a function of a specifiable number of the further strategies that obtained the greatest respective cumulative rewards;
• wherein the episode length is increased following each execution of the loop;
• and
• storing the parameters representing the strategy in a memory connected to the neural network.