Integrating Epistemic Action (Active Vision) and Pragmatic Action (Reaching): A Neural Architecture for Camera-Arm Robots

The active vision and attention-for-action frameworks propose that in organisms attention and perception are closely integrated with action and learning. This work proposes a novel bio-inspired integrated neural-network architecture that on one side uses attention to guide and furnish the parameters to action, and on the other side uses the effects of action to train the task-oriented top-down attention components of the system. The architecture is tested both with a simulated and a real camera-arm robot engaged in a reaching task. The results highlight the computational opportunities and difficulties deriving from a close integration of attention, action and learning.