Investigating functionality: the case of piercing operation

The application of tools by artificial systems depends on the ability to recognize an object as having a particular function as well as on the ability to express the functional interaction. This paper focuses on the operation of piercing as means of investigating the issue of functional representation. The operation is expressed using a formalism, based on discrete event system (DES) theory and on the paradigm of active perception. The visual and tactile data acquired during piercing motor actions performed with a robotic manipulator is discussed