Wumpus World

NOTE: Users running Windows may experience difficulty after clicking the "Pit?" or "Wumpus?" buttons. If more than 45 seconds pass without a response, there is an error. This is due to a known bug in the Microsoft Java VM, and we're looking for a viable work-around for it. In the meantime, you can still play Wumpus without the advanced proving features. -Jason

To specify the agent's task, we specify its percepts, actions, and goals. In the Wumpus World, these are as follows:

• In the square containing the wumpus and in the directly (not diagonally) adjacent square the agent will perceive a stench
• In the squares directly adjacent to a pit, the agent will perceive a breeze.
• In the square where the gold is, the agent will perceive a glitter.
• When an agent walks into a wall, it will perceive a bump.
• When the wumpus is killed, it gives out a woeful scream that can be perceived anywhere in the cave.
• There are actions to go right, left, up, and down. In addition, the action Grab can be used to pick up the gold, if it is in the same square as the agent. The action Shoot can be used to fire an arrow in a straight line in the direction the agent is facing. The arrow continues until it either hits and kills the wumpus or hits the wall. The agent only has one arrow, so only the first Shoot action has any effect. Finally the action Climb is used to leave the cave; it is effective only when the agent is in the start square.
• The agent dies a miserable death if it enters a square containing a pit or a live wumpus. It is safe (but smelly) to enter a square with a dead wumpus.
• The agent's goal is to find the gold and bring it back to the start as quickly as possible, without getting killed. To be precise, 100 points are awarded for climbing out of the cave while carrying the gold, but there is a 1-point penalty for each action taken, and a 1000-point penalty for getting killed.
• The locations of the gold and the wumpus are chosen randomly.
• Each square other than the start can be a pit, with a probability of 0.2.

In most environments there is a way for the agent to safely retrieve the gold. In some environments, the agent must choose between going home empty-handed or taking a chance that could lead to death or to the gold. And in about 21% of the environments (the ones where the gold is in a pit or surrounded by pits), there is no way the agent can get a positive score. Sometimes life is just unfair.