A Robotic Model of Reaching and Grasping Development

We present a neurorobotic model that develops reaching and grasping skills analogous to those displayed by infants during their early developmental stages. The learning process is realized in an incremental manner, taking into account the reflex behaviors initially possessed by infants and the neurophysiological and cognitive maturation occurring during the relevant developmental period. The behavioral skills acquired by the robots closely match those displayed by children. The comparison between incremental and nonincremental experiments demonstrates how some of the limitations characterizing the initial developmental phase channel the learning process toward better solutions.