Objective
By spontaneously generating and also observing/imitating manipulative gestures, infants quickly learn how to interact with their environment. At the same time, communicative abilities develop leading to a more complex use of speech.
Are these motor abilities developing independently? Or are there fundamentally similar mechanisms in the development of perception and production, for both speech and manipulation?
We believe that the latter is the case. This project represents an ambitious attempt to investigate the parallel development of manipulatory and speech
gestures from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Experts in Robotics, Neuroscience, and Child-Development will collaborate to build an embodied artifact, which will develop its motor capabilities both in manipulation and speech.
The hypothesis deals with a scientific finding indicating that actions are represented more in terms of goals then in terms of procedures. This finding brings to a possible unified theory underlying both manipulation and speech, apart from obvious differences relative to effectors and sensory modalities involved. Moreover, action representations can be addressed not only during execution but also by the perception of action-related stimuli. Consequently, production and perception will be investigated at the same time. The focus will be, therefore, on a combined Perception-Production model that develops incrementally, finally leading to a system that learns to:
Perceive and produce simple manipulatory gestures and words
Infer the goal of gestures, and meaning of words.
Our approach will give us the possibility to experimentally manipulate the development process on the basis of the experiments and theories reached by the Neuroscience partners. At the same time, theoretical questions and implementation issues arising during artifact development will challenge neuroscience labs and their exploration of living systems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2003-NEST-A
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
GENOVA
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.