Robots are being extensively used for the purpose of discovering and testing empirical hypotheses about biological sensorimotor mechanisms. We examine here methodological problems that have to be addressed in order to design and perform “good” experiments with these machine models. These problems notably concern the mapping of biological mechanism descriptions into robotic mechanism descriptions; the distinction between theoretically unconstrained “implementation details” and robotic features that carry a modeling weight; the role of preliminary calibration experiments; the monitoring of experimental environments for disturbing factors that affect both modeling features and theoretically unconstrained implementation details of robots. Various assumptions that are gradually introduced in the process of setting up and performing these robotic experiments become integral parts of the background hypotheses that are needed to bring experimental observations to bear on biological mechanism descriptions.

Datteri, E., Tamburrini, G. (2007). Biorobotic Experiments for the Discovery of Biological Mechanisms. PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, 74(3), 409-430 [10.1086/522095].

Biorobotic Experiments for the Discovery of Biological Mechanisms

DATTERI, EDOARDO;
2007

Abstract

Robots are being extensively used for the purpose of discovering and testing empirical hypotheses about biological sensorimotor mechanisms. We examine here methodological problems that have to be addressed in order to design and perform “good” experiments with these machine models. These problems notably concern the mapping of biological mechanism descriptions into robotic mechanism descriptions; the distinction between theoretically unconstrained “implementation details” and robotic features that carry a modeling weight; the role of preliminary calibration experiments; the monitoring of experimental environments for disturbing factors that affect both modeling features and theoretically unconstrained implementation details of robots. Various assumptions that are gradually introduced in the process of setting up and performing these robotic experiments become integral parts of the background hypotheses that are needed to bring experimental observations to bear on biological mechanism descriptions.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Filosofia della Scienza; Filosofia delle neuroscienze; Filosofia dell'Intelligenza Artificiale; Biorobotica
English
lug-2007
74
3
409
430
none
Datteri, E., Tamburrini, G. (2007). Biorobotic Experiments for the Discovery of Biological Mechanisms. PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, 74(3), 409-430 [10.1086/522095].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/13982
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