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Some robotic imitations of biological movements can be counterproductive

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2002

Ramesh Balasubramaniam
Affiliation:
Research Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Montreal, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3S 2J4, Canadamahavishnu@sympatico.caFeldman@ere.umontreal.ca
Anatol G Feldman
Affiliation:
Research Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Montreal, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3S 2J4, Canadamahavishnu@sympatico.caFeldman@ere.umontreal.ca

Abstract

It is proposed here that Webb's ideas about robots as possible models of animals need some rethinking. In our view, even though widely used biorobotics strategies are fairly successful at reproducing the macroscopic behavior of biological systems, there are still several problems unresolved on the side of robotics as well as biology. Both mathematical and hardware-like robotics models should be feasible physiologically. Control principles elaborated in robotics are not necessarily applied to biological control systems. Although observations of flying birds inspired aerodynamics and thus modern airplanes, little knowledge has been added to the neurophysiological principles underlying flight in birds. Chess playing computers might outperform most chess players, but they cannot be considered as physiologically feasible models of human thinking.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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