Perspectives on Robotic Embodiment from a Developmental Cognitive Architecture

Recent discussions in cognitive robotics have emphasised the role of embodiment and developmental learning. A novel developmental memory-based cognitive framework, and its associated computational architecture, is presented. This framework emphasises the low level sensory-motor aspects of developmental learning as a basis upon which higher-order cognitive functions can be bootstrapped autonomously and adaptively. Experiments are described which explore the interplay between development and embodiment. The results are discussed in the context of the cognitive framework, and demonstrate that embodiment is not merely an interface between an agent and its environment, but is fundamentally and inextricably linked to the developed cognitive capabilities of the agent, even at the low level examined here.