Research on Human Cognition for Biologically Inspired Developments: Human-Robot Interaction by Biomimetic AI

Introduction

Humans adapted in the former eras of technological progress often to the use of technology, in spite developed by humans, one had to learn how to handle technology via many steps and realise them with caution. Because of technology’s pioneering complexity it was not always satisfying the users needs and the premise of safe handling, special training and expert knowledge was often required to a large extend. In the new era control and feedback control systems, also called Cybernetics, take over for handling technology with ease and comfort. The focus on the practical usage of technology shifted in an evolutionary process towards human centred interfaces, e.g. from first computers with command line via mouse input towards touch-screens. For instance, considering people, and even kids, on using touch-screens one can recognise an intuitive usage, familiar and intuitive movements for interactions are easier to accomplish. In addition, sophisticated countries and states have to face the challenge of a demographic transition in their societies, which conditions the vision of service robotics to develop machines to be adaptive in their social behaviour. Meaning, reflecting the environment and being available to different users or user groups and their pleomorphism. A carer or patient interacting with the same device will have perhaps miscellaneous requirements and emphasis for it. Therefore, the research on biological cognitive abilities and confident behaviour, as well machine learning with information seeking aspects, should be considered for developing artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Thus far, it is not a new idea and the subject of mind, consciousness and models of thinking and self-awareness are discussed already since the 16th century, but often in rather philosophical or mathematical semantic ways, because the inside perspective is hard to grasp. Notably the beginning in understanding of mind led to impressive sociological impact, for example by the “Age of Enlightenment”. Hence resulting in innovative thinking, which still influences current research and this research is a remaining challenge to science and engineering with impressive progress about the last six decades. Despite the different nature of former scientific contributions, all of the work has one major aspect in common: to achieve the goal of an implementation of artificial thought, mind and consciousness – only an interdisciplinary perspective can provide the necessities and insights from biological role models towards intuitive artificial intelligent systems. With the aim to provide input to the development of intuitive user interfaces and artificial perception, leading to artificial cognition, only joint competence from fields like biology (physiology, cognition), physics/mathematics (cognition, information processing and artificial intelligence), engineering (cybernetics, biomimetics, robotics), sociology (cooperation, synergy of human and technology, as well sociological impact and consequences, ethics), design (materials, aesthetics, appearance), philosophy and arts can identify and display what humans are capable of and what is requested for feasible, useful and intuitive interaction with technology. Research is not aiming only to understand the basic mechanisms of mind by modelling it, also for generating computer models for robot artificial intelligence. So, that machines can interact (Human-Robot-Interaction: HRI) according to the gold standard of intuitive interaction, which is the role model of Human-Human-Interaction (HHI). Thus, empowering the robot with consciousness to be willing to learn, for adaptivity and its gain for autonomy and persistence as a service tool, able to tackle unknown tasks, changes of plans and at least mimicking HHI in HRI.