The human sense of self involves an innate awareness of one's body, continuity over time, and recognition of others as independent selves. Researchers propose that robots, with their physical embodiment and interactive abilities, could serve as models to replicate or test components of this complex human experience. The goal is to explore whether processes contributing to the human sense of self can be generated in robots, shedding light on cognition and perception.
Central to this concept is the idea that a sense of self in humans arises from interactions between bodily sensations, actions, and brain processing. The sense of body ownership and agency - feeling in control of one's actions - are considered essential components. In robotics, creating machines capable of distinguishing themselves from others and recognizing the impact of their own actions are fundamental challenges that researchers are working to address.
The review outlines two major approaches. The first involves designing robots to mimic the mental processes associated with self-experience, rooted in psychological and neuroscientific principles. Here, robots act as physical platforms to validate theories that suggest human self-awareness develops from the brain's interpretation of sensory feedback and its causal relationship with those signals.
The second approach focuses on experiments in which robots, equipped with social capabilities like communication and shared attention, interact with humans. This line of research can reveal whether humans perceive robots as social entities and whether interactions evoke mental states similar to those experienced with other people. Studies conducted at IIT under Wykowska have shown that humans may even develop a sense of joint agency when collaborating with robots perceived as intentional partners.
The paper also discusses potential parallels between human developmental processes and robotic programming. By age four, children typically develop an understanding of their continuous existence and recognize others as having individual selves. Robotics research is beginning to integrate elements such as memory systems that mimic autobiographical memory. Despite this progress, current robots lack the capability to perceive themselves or others as persistent entities over time.
The exploration into using robots to replicate or analyze the sense of self is still in its early phases. However, the insights gained could have significant implications for both understanding human cognition and advancing the design of intelligent, socially aware machines.
Research Report:Understanding the sense of self through robotics
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Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT
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