Search results for "Robotic"
showing 10 items of 636 documents
Motor simulation via coupled internal models using sequential Monte Carlo
2011
We describe a generative Bayesian model for action understanding in which inverse-forward internal model pairs are considered 'hypotheses' of plausible action goals that are explored in parallel via an approximate inference mechanism based on sequential Monte Carlo methods. The reenactment of internal model pairs can be considered a form of motor simulation, which supports both perceptual prediction and action understanding at the goal level. However, this procedure is generally considered to be computationally inefficient. We present a model that dynamically reallocates computational resources to more accurate internal models depending on both the available prior information and the predic…
A Quantum Planner for Robot Motion
2022
The possibility of integrating quantum computation in a traditional system appears to be a viable route to drastically improve the performance of systems endowed with artificial intelligence. An example of such processing consists of implementing a teleo-reactive system employing quantum computing. In this work, we considered the navigation of a robot in an environment where its decisions are drawn from a quantum algorithm. In particular, the behavior of a robot is formalized through a production system. It is used to describe the world, the actions it can perform, and the conditions of the robot’s behavior. According to the production rules, the planning of the robot activities is processe…
The Robotic Construction Kit as a Tool for Cognitive Stimulation in Children and Adolescents: The RE4BES Protocol
2019
Through numerous experiences, the robotics has been demonstrated to have good potential in the field of strengthening social skills in children with Special Educational Needs and in particular with autism spectrum disorder. There are still not many experimental studies on the cognitive enhancement and social skills of children with special needs conducted with robotics construction kits that, requiring both the construction of the robot body and the programming of its “mind“, bring into play a multiplicity of cognitive and social skills. For the aforementioned reasons our team from the University of Palermo and from the Center MetaIntelligenze ONLUS developed the treatment protocol RE4BES, …
New frontiers for psychology and education: Robotics
2004
The paper reviews the first attempts to study the educational and psychological usefulness of robotics: (1) the social and cooperative dimensions involved in the robot-building activities; (2) the reasoning strategies implied in building and programming robots; (3) the influences of robotics on mathematical and scientific achievement; (4) the use of robotics in modification of social skills of autistic children.
Robotica e Mondi Virtuali: un Laboratorio di Edutainment con Lego Mindstorm e Kodu Game Lab
2014
Un gruppo di studenti del primo anno della scuola secondaria di primo grado è stato coinvolto in uno studio di ricerca-azione volto ad esplorare le abilità cognitive coinvolte e stimolate dall’uso di tecnologie quali LEGO® Mindstorm e Kodu Game Lab (KGL). I risultati dello studio dimostrano che l’utilizzo di queste due tecnologie richiede, negli alunni coinvolti nel laboratorio, l’applica- zione di processi cognitivi e competenze scolastiche differenti. Nello specifico, LEGO® Mindstorm sollecita maggiormente l’impiego di abilità di ragiona- mento logico-deduttivo, la capacità di elaborare velocemente target visivi, il problem solving geometrico, e la lettura e comprensione del testo-. L’uso…
Robotics Construction Kits: From “Objects to Think with” to “Objects to Think and to Emote with”
2018
This paper discusses new ideas about the use of educational robotics in social-emotional learning. In particular, educational robotics could be a tool intended to allow children to acquire some of the basic aspects of human emotions and emotional functioning, and to understand how these relate to the mind and body. More specifically, by using robots such as the LEGO Mindstorm construction kits—which allow users to both construct the body of the robot and to provide it with a behavioural repertory—children have the opportunity to visualize (and manipulate) the relationship between the robot’s body and mind. This allows them to simulate “embodied emotional minds” and to reflect on new neurosc…
Robotic and virtual World Programming labs to Stimulate Reasoning and visual-spatial Abilities
2013
Abstract The individuals’ cognitive skills, academic performance and their relationship with programming of robots or virtual learning environment is a topic of particular interest in the area of human-robot interaction. This paper presents a pilot study performed on a group of 36 lower secondary school students involved in a 32-hours laboratory based on the combination of LEGO Mindstorm NXT and Microsoft Kodu Game Lab (KGL) and aimed at programming first a robot and further a more complete virtual world based on a narrative-designed scenario. The findings of the research will be discussed in the light of the effectiveness of using robotics and virtual world programming as a meaningful and …
Robotics and Virtual Worlds: An Experiential Learning Lab
2013
Aim of the study was to investigate the cognitive processes involved and stimulated by educational robotics (LEGO® robots and Kodu Game Lab) in lower secondary school students. Results showed that LEGO® and KGL artifacts involve specific cognitive and academic skills. In particular the use of LEGO® is related to deductive reasoning, speed of processing visual targets, reading comprehension and geometrical problem solving; the use of KGL is related to visual-spatial working memory, updating skills and reading comprehension. Both technologies, moreover, are effective in the improvement of visual-spatial working memory. Implications for Human-Robot Interaction and BICA challenge are discussed.
Use of Robotics Kits for the Enhancement of Metacognitive Skills of Mathematics: a Possible Approach
2011
The present study is aimed at analyzing the process of building and programming robots as a metacognitive tool of mathematics. Quantitative data from a research performed in a sample of students attending an Italian secondary school are described. Results showed that robotics activities may be intended as a new metacognitive environment allowing students to improve their attitude in mathematics, and to increase their attitude to reflect on themselves and on their own learning, and their higher-level control components, such as forecasting, planning, monitoring and evaluation exercises and problems related to implementation.
Using robotics construction kits as metacognitive tools: A research in an italian primary school
2010
The present paper is aimed at analyzing the process of building and programming robots as a metacognitive tool. Quantitative data and qualitative observations from a research performed in a sample of children attending an Italian primary school are described in this work. Results showed that robotics activities may be intended as a new metacognitive environment that allows children to monitor themselves and control their learning actions in an autonomous and self-centered way.