From Bricks to Brains: The Embodied Cognitive Science of LEGO Robots - Softcover

Dawson, Michael; Dupuis, Brian; Wilson, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1897425783 ISBN 13: 9781897425787

Publisher: Athabasca University Press, 2010

Synopsis

From Bricks to Brains introduces embodied cognitive scienceand illustrates its foundational ideas through the construction andobservation of LEGO Mindstorms robots.

Discussing the characteristics that distinguish embodied cognitivescience from classical cognitive science, From Bricks toBrains places a renewed emphasis on sensing and acting, theimportance of embodiment, the exploration of distributed notions ofcontrol, and the development of theories by synthesizing simple systemsand exploring their behaviour. Numerous examples are used to illustratea key theme: the importance of an agent’s environment. Evensimple agents, such as LEGO robots, are capable of exhibiting complexbehaviour when they can sense and affect the world around them.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Dawson is a professor of psychology at theUniversity of Alberta. He is the author of numerous scientific papersas well as Understanding Cognitive Science, Mindsand Machines, and Connectionism: A Hands-on Approach.Brian Dupuis is a research assistant in psychology atthe University of Alberta. Michael Wilson is a biologymajor at the University of Alberta.

From the Back Cover

Introduces embodied cognitive science and illustrates its foundational ideas through the construction and observation of LEGO Mindstorms robots.

From the Inside Flap

Introduces embodied cognitive science and illustrates its foundational ideas through the construction and observation of LEGO Mindstorms robots.

Edition details

• Publisher: Athabasca University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1897425783
• ISBN 13: 9781897425787
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352