Objective and brief achivements

Our final goal is to construct a theory of robotic cognitive models connecting from embodied behaviors to communication from the perspective of human development.

The central issue of Perso-SI is behaviors and communications in the real world. The developmental theory of the cognitive and behavioral construction mediates between Physio-IS and Socio-SI. We have tried to construct a cognitive developmental theory of autonomous learning robots resembling human development form fetuses to infants. For the purpose, we have developed fetus and infant whole body musculoskeletal simulator and 9 months old infant robot, Noby(Nine-month Old Baby robot), and construct basic theory based on embodied cognitive science.

(a) Fetus and infant simulator: A computer simulation system, which resembles the musculoskeletal system, the sensory system, and the nervous system in uterine and out-of-uterine environments.

(b) Noby (Baby robot) : A humanoid robot, which resembles 9 month-old-infant’s body dynamics parameter and sensorimotor ability. The robot has whole body tactile skin, whole body motor functionality, vision and auditory sensors and is used for research about motor development, development of object control, imitation learning, behavior concept acquisition, communication development, and so on.

We have achieved unpredictable research issue related to pediatrics at the beginning of the project. One of the examples is measurement of tactile sensation in holding a baby with tactile sensor suits which is developed by our group.
Fig.1 indicates the map of development of research platform, and Fig.2 indicates the map of research of cognitive and motor developmental models.

Fig.1 The Perso-SI platform development map.

Fig.2 The Perso-SI cognitive and motor developmental models research map.

We also have studied about tool-use, communication, primitive language acquisition. In the research area of sensorimotor learning and cognitive development based on embodiment, we have constructed models of of motor and body representation development for self-awareness acquisition processes. In the other hand, for cognitive development, important issues are not only self-construction but also interaction to others. We have conducted experiments and observation of infants including tactile sensation data when mother holds her baby. In the research area of verbal imitation and empathy development, we have focused on infant-parent interaction as primitive social communication learning processes and constructed the model of the communication.