The Anthropomimetic Principle

Abstract

Most humanoid robots are essentially conventional robots that fit within the morphological envelope of a human. However, for robots that are intended to help in the understanding of human cognition and action, a much higher level of biological inspiration may be necessary. This paper sets out some of the requirements for an anthropomimetic robot – one which imitates not just the human form, but also the biological structures and functions that enable and constrain perception and action – and describes the design, construction, and initial performance of such a robot. The findings to date indicate that the combination of a realistic skeleton, series-elastic actuators, and a foveated vision system gives a unique insight into the problems the human brain has to solve in the areas of perception and action.