CFP: Epigenetic Robotics

[Jordan Zlatev]

Dear INFO-CHILDES and others,
Please help distribute this annoucement to anyone interested in sitiated embodied
cognition and language.
Best,
Jordan Zlatev


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Call for Papers

First International Workshop on 
Epigenetic Robotics: Modeling Cognitive Development in Robotic Systems 

September 17-18, 2001
Lund, Sweden


During the last few years we have witnessed the mutual rapprochement of two traditionally very different fields of study: developmental psychology and robotics. This has come with the realization in large parts of the cognitive science community that true intelligence in natural and (possibly) artificial systems presupposes 3 crucial properties: 

(a) the *embodiment* of the system, 
(b) its *situatedness* in a physical and social environment and 
(c) a prolonged *epigenetic developmental process* through which increasingly more complex cognitive structures emerge in the system as a result of interactions with the physical and social environment. 

To designate this new field we use the term *epigenesis*, introduced in psychology by the great 20th century developmentalist Jean Piaget to refer to such development, determined primarily by interaction rather than genes. However, we believe that Piaget’s emphasis on the importance of sensorimotor interaction needs to be complemented with what is just as (and perhaps more) important for development: *social interaction*, as emphasized by another important figure of 20th century developmental psychology, Lev Vygotsky. 

In the emergent field of Epigenetic Robotics the interests of psychologists and roboticists meet. The former are in a position to provide the detailed empirical findings and theoretical generalizations that can guide the implementations of robotic systems capable of cognitive (including behavioral and social) development. Conversely, these implementations can help clarify, evaluate, and even develop psychological theories, which due to the complexity of the interactional processes involved have hitherto remained somewhat speculative.
 
We are thus pleased to invite the submission of papers to the *First International Workshop on Epigenetic Robotics: Modeling Cognitive Development in Robotic Systems*, which we hope to allow researchers working in this new interdisciplinary field to share and discuss theoretical frameworks, methodologies, results and problems. 
 
Subject areas include, but are not limited to:
* The role of motivation, emotions and value systems in development 
* The development of sensorimotor schemata and an "ecological self" 
* The development of joint attention 
* The development of imitation and social learning 
* The development of mind-reading/theory of mind 
* The development of non-verbal and verbal communication
* The development of shared meaning and symbolic reference 
* The development of consciousness and self-awareness 
* The development of a concept of "person" and social relationships
* Developmental disorders (Autism, Williams’ Syndrome, ADHD/DAMP)
* The interaction between innate structures and experience in development

The workshop, sponsored by Commuications Research Laboratory, Japan,will be held for on September 17-18 in the charming town of Lund in southern Sweden, home of one of the oldest universities of Northern Europe, on September 17-18, just preceding the Fourth European Workshop on Advanced Mobile Robots (EUROBOT'01). 
 

Invited Speakers

* Christopher Sinha (Institute of Language and Communication, University of Southern Denmark, Odense)
* To be announced

Organizing Committee

* Christian Balkenius (Cognitive Science, Lund University, Sweden) <christian.balkenius at lucs.lu.se>
* Cynthia Breazeal (Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, USA) <cynthia at ai.mit.edu>
* Kerstin Dautenhahn (Adaptive Systems, The University of Hertfordshire, UK) <K.Dautenhahn at herts.ac.uk>
* Hideki Kozima (Commuications Research Laboratory, Japan) <xkozima at crl.go.jp>
* Jordan Zlatev (Linguistics, Lund University, Sweden) <Jordan.Z at chula.ac.th>


Submissions
Papers not exceeding 8 pages should be submitted electronically (PDF or PS) as attachment files to Hideki Kozima <xkozima at crl.go.jp>Further instructions to authors will be posted on the conference home page: http://www.lucs.lu.se/epigenetic-robotics

Important Dates 
April 15, 2001: Submission of papers
June 15, 2001: Notification of acceptance
August 1, 2001: Deadline for camera-ready papers
September 17-18, 2001: Workshop 


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