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Published on: May 25, 2013
Emergence and development of embodied cognition: a constructivist approach using robots.
Yasuo Kuniyoshi1, Yasuaki Yorozu, Shinsuke Suzuki
1Department of Mechano-Informatics, School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan. kuniyosh@isi.imi.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Progress in Brain Research
|October 9, 2007
Summary
This research explores how a physical body
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Developmental Robotics
- Embodied AI
Background:
- Constructivist approaches emphasize minimal principles for complex system evolution.
- Connecting embodiment to social cognition is a key challenge in AI and cognitive science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how physical embodiment and autonomous exploration contribute to cognitive development.
- To model fetal/neonatal motor development and its emergent properties.
- To demonstrate visual-motor self-learning for neonatal imitation in robotics.
Main Methods:
- Proposed "embodiment as a coupled chaotic field" for autonomous exploration of body-based information structures.
- Simulated fetal/neonatal motor development, including the musculo-skeletal system, nervous system, and uterine environment.
- Conducted robotic experiments on visual-motor self-learning.
Main Results:
- Physical bodies, driven by goals, provide clear structures for action and perception.
- The "coupled chaotic field" model demonstrated emergent and adaptive behaviors.
- Simulated neural-body dynamics showed spontaneous exploration of motor patterns.
- Robotic experiments achieved neonatal imitation through visual-motor self-learning.
Conclusions:
- Embodiment is fundamental for developing cognitive structures and adaptive behaviors.
- Simulations and robotic experiments support a constructivist, embodied approach to understanding development and imitation.
- This research offers insights into the origins of social cognition from basic embodied principles.
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