Important Dates

Paper submission: 30 April 2008
Paper notification: 31 May 2008
Camera-ready: 30 June 2008
Conference: 30 - 31 July 2008 (NEW DATE)
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In the past 7 years, the Epigenetic Robotics annual conference has established itself as a unique place where original interdisciplinary research from developmental sciences, neuroscience, biology, cognitive robotics, and artificial intelligence is being presented.

Psychological theory and empirical evidence is being used to inform epigenetic robotic models, and these models can be used as theoretical tools to make experimental predictions in developmental psychology.

As in previous years, we encourage submissions from researchers whose work broadly intersects the fields (and subdisciplines) of developmental science, robotics, and neuroscience. As a special feature, this year we are also highlighting a specific organizational theme: evolution and development as related processes of change.

The particular focus of this theme is on the dynamic interplay between ontogeny and phylogeny. In other words, how do new abilities and skills that emerge during development influence the path of evolution, and how do subsequent evolutionary changes help to create new developmental trajectories? This is a question that fits well within the mission of epigenetic robotics, as it spans not only a wide range of research areas and academic disciplines (e.g., biology, psychology, AI and machine learning, linguistics, anthropology, etc.) but also a broad spectrum of spatial and temporal scales (e.g., neurons, brains, social communities, cultures, etc.).

We are especially interested in submissions that will enhance the emerging dialog between evolutionary and developmental perspectives. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Artificial embryology
  • Morphogenesis, differentiation, and regulation
  • Behavioral inheritance and social learning
  • The evolution of language acquisition
  • Phylogenetic constraints on perceptual processing (e.g., face perception)
  • Neuroplasticity and the evolution of cognition
  • Evolutionary influences on mother-infant bonding
  • Modularity of mind (evolutionary constraints on neural processing)
  • Tool-use and problem-solving in humans, non-human primates, and machines
Organisational chair: Luc Berthouze epirob08@epigenetic-robotics.org
Program chair: Matthew Schlesinger epirob08-PC@epigenetic-robotics.org