Presented groundbreaking work in beautiful Barcelona at the Living Machines Conference 2015, showcasing how iCub learns tool use through imitation learning.
Conference Presentation
“How iCub Learns to Imitate Use of a Tool by Recycling the Past Knowledge Learnt During Drawing”
The presentation took place in Gaudi’s stunning city of Barcelona, demonstrating the intersection of biological inspiration and robotic learning.
Research Innovation
Tool Learning through Knowledge Transfer
- iCub humanoid robot learns to use tools by building upon previously acquired drawing skills
- Demonstrates knowledge recycling and transfer learning principles
- Shows how past experiences can be creatively repurposed for new tasks
Imitation Learning Framework
- Teacher demonstration of tool use actions
- Robot observation and skill extraction
- Adaptive application to novel tool-use scenarios
Biological Inspiration
The approach mirrors how biological systems build upon existing motor patterns to acquire new skills, showing cumulative learning in action.
Technical Achievement
This work represents a significant advancement in:
- Embodied artificial intelligence
- Developmental robotics
- Bio-inspired learning systems
- Tool use cognition in artificial agents
The research demonstrates that sophisticated cognitive abilities can emerge through the creative combination and adaptation of simpler learned behaviors.
iCub successfully learning to use tools through imitating teacher demonstrations