Generation of condition-dependent reaching movements based on layered associative networks

This paper proposes a hierarchical network that enables an information processing nesting structure for tool-use that represents a relationship between a hand end-effector and a tool target when reaching for the tool, and an additional relationship between the tip of the tool end-effector and an object target after taking the tool. The network consists of associative networks whose lower layer networks associate the multimodal information under various conditions. The higher layer network associates the temporal order of the lower network states. A simulation experiment shows that the proposed network successfully generates reaching movements regardless of the conditions.