Representation and learning in motor action – Bridges between experimental research and cognitive robotics

Abstract

a b s t r a c tTo gain a better understanding of the functionality of representation and categorization in action and interaction, it is fundamental that researchers understand how movements are represented in long-term memory. It is our position that human motor control requires that our actions be planned and represented in terms of intended perceptual effects and future task demands, and that the individual has a well-structured mental representation of the task so that the movement can be carried out successfully. Basic Action Concepts (BACs) are identified as major building blocks of cognitive representation in long-term memory, which are cognitive tools used to master the functional demands of movement tasks. In this paper, we consider relevant issues in research methodology and present an experimental method that can be used to assess action-relevant representational structures. This method permits us to observe the strong relationship between cognitive representation and performance in manual action. For example, the specific differences in the mental representations of participants are strongly related to skill level, as well as biomechanical and task constraints. We then discuss results from our learning experiments, where we have examined the development and changes in cognitive representation over time. From these experiments we have found that cognitive reference structures include task-specific spatial information, which provides the basis for action control in skilled voluntary movement. We have implemented these results on various robotic platforms. We argue that the insights gained from various experimental approaches in the field of cognitive psychology and motor control enable researchers to explore the possibilities and limitations of artificial control architectures in robot systems. Finally, we argue that this is not a unidirectional process. Researchers from the field of cognitive psychology and motor control can profit from the advances in technological systems, which enhance the understanding of human motor control in skilled voluntary action.

Action Priority: Early Neurophysiological Interaction of Conceptual and Motor Representations

“…Such an integrated processing can be expected to arise in the planning phase of manual action as it has been shown that uni manual grasping interferes with verbal working memory during the planning rather than during the control component [64]. From an ecological point of view, optimal behaviour has priority [65,66]. Hence, action-related conceptual information may be processed with priority if the situation requires complex actions such as grasping.…”

From action representation to action execution: exploring the links between cognitive and biomechanical levels of motor control

“…According to the perceptual-cognitive perspective, actions are planned and performed on the basis of structured cognitive representations of action effects in motor memory (Hommel et al, 2001; Mechsner et al, 2001; Schack and Mechsner, 2006; Hoffmann et al, 2007; Shin et al, 2010). Furthermore, because these representations govern the tuning of motor commands and muscular activity patterns, skillful coordination occurs when appropriate mental representations of the motor task and action goals are constructed (Schack and Ritter, in press). In order to illustrate how these processes can be conceptualized and explored empirically, we will present studies that investigated the organization of task-related cognitive structures, and the way these structures correspond to functional components of skilled motor performance.…”

Cognitive Representation of a Complex Motor Action Executed by Different Motor Systems

“…However, knowledge about the functional features of the technical system complement the perceptual-motor knowledge of the human motor system. Despite the fact that the dynamic systems approach (Gibson 1977) and the motor approach (Schmidt and Lee 2005) are fundamental research areas in motor control, the cognitive architecture of complex motor action also plays an important role in the understanding of movement organization (Schack and Ritter 2013). Our results deliver further evidence in how far intellectual and motor-perceptual knowledge are integrated into the memory structure of a movement, and that both information resources have an impact on the integral cognitive structure formation.…”