LOCEN is a research group working within the Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione (ISTC), situated in Rome, in turn part of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR; the Italian National Research Council). LOCEN was founded in 2005 and is one of the most young, dynamic and innovative research groups of ISTC-CNR.
Since its birth, LOCEN has been capable of self-funding both its
members' salary and research on the basis of European Projects
(Gianluca is the only one to have gotten a permanent position, in
2009). In particular, the group got funded through the following
European Projects:
1. MindRACES. Period: 11/2004-10/2007,120.000 euros.
2. ICEA. Period: 01/2006-12/2009, 630.000 euros.
3. IM-CLeVeR (LOCEN is the Coordinator). Period: 01/2009-04/2013, 1.681.479 euros.
LOCEN aims at investigating brain, behaviour and society through computational models which have a close dialogue with data (and researchers) of neuroscience, psychology, and social sciences (see below LOCEN mission, research topics, and research method).
Coordinators
Gianluca Baldasarre (Researcher III Level)
Marco Mirolli (Researcher III Level)
Researchers
Francesco Mannella (PhD Student)
Vincenzo Fiore (PhD Student)
Stefano Zappacosta (Postdoc)
Fabian Chersi (Posdoc)
Daniele Caligiore (PhD Student)
Valerio Sperati (Research Assistant)
Simona Bosco (management)
Past Members
Dimitri Ognibene (PhD Student)
Alberto Venditti (Master Student)
Massimiliano Schembri (Master Student)
Angelo Rega (Master Student)
LOCEN aims at understanding how brain generates behaviour of organisms by interacting with the body and with the environment via sensors and effectors, by using robotic and computational models.
We are interested in acquiring the conceptual and formal tools
related to the study of complex systems as brain-body-environment form
a complex system, so we are interested in:
Complex systems,
non-linear dynamical systems, hierarchical levels, positive and
negative feedback, emergence, information theory, entropy.
Computational tools:
We are interested in developing 'computational tools' to develop computational models, so we are interested in:
Genetic algorithms, neural networks, reinforcement learning, unsupervised learning, supervised learning, Hebb learning.
Aspects of brain of interest:
We are interested in the following brain aspects, mechanisms and areas:
Neuron
functioning, LTP, LTD, STDP, amygdala, basal ganglia, hippocampus,
orbitofrontal cortex, dorsal prefrontal cortex, medial pre-frontal
cortex, anterior-cingulate cortex, supplementary-motor cortex, premotor
cortex, motor cortex, parietal cortex, visual cortex, ventral and
dorsal visual pathway, muscles, muscle sensors, muscle control, limb
dynamics and kinematics.
Behaviours of interests:
We are interested in the following aspects of behaviour:
Classical
conditioning, instrumental conditioning, motivation, affective
regulation of learning, action selection; navigation; eye-arm-hand
coordination, grasping, reaching, action hierarchy and
compositionality, motor babbling, learning of affordances; development
of sensorimotor skills, curiosity-driven learning, novelty detection,
focussing on zone of proximal development; active vision,
where/what/how, attention; prediction, planning.
The computational modeling research approach we use (see details below), has its roots in the approaches of:
Computational neuroscience, artificial life, cognitive neuroscience, developmental robotics, machine
learning, artificial intelligence, cognitive science.
LOCEN founds its research on an innovative research method (drawing its roots in many computational approaches), based on two fundamental meta-principles, and five specific principles. Note that we are aware that this methodology is not the only way of using computational models and produce valuable knowledge. However, we think that among the existing computational methods we have been developing one which is rather powerful for understanding how brain and behaviour work as it possesses a strong cumulativity (see below). The principles of the method are as follows:
...2 Meta-principles...
a. Seek explanations within the theoretical framework of evolution.
The
biological theory of evolution is the best theoretical framework to
uderstand behaviour and brain. Organism's behaviour is as it is as it
evolved to increase their survival and reproductive chances. Brain is
as it is as it evolved to produce such behaviour (and satisfy internal
constraints of metabolic efficiency, space, etc.). So when you try to
understand behaviour and brain always ask: what is the function of
this? (of course, bear in mind that biology teaches us that evolution
is dirty, recicles, has path dependencies, exaptations, etc.: all these
are important to find sound explanations).
b. Seek theoretical cumulativity.
The halmark of science is cumulativity
of knowledge. This means that a good scientific method is one which
assures the cumulativity of knowledge in time, by allowing you to rank
theories and hypothesis on reality and discard those that explain less
of the phenomena of interest. All the five principles which follow are
directed to strengthened the cumulativity of the reasearch method used
by LOCEN.
...5 Principles...
In
fact: (a) they form a complex system and computational models and
robots are the the only way you can use to understand its emergent
properties; (b) neuroscience and psychology are producing a huge amount
of data but they fail to produce unified pictures of brain and
behaviour: in this respect, computational models and robots have an
exceptional theoretical catalyst power as they force researchers to
translate theories into explicit coherent models which produce
quantitative detailed testable predictions.
2.
Constrain models by requiring that they reproduce specific quantitative
data on behaviour, furnished by psychology, ethology, and other
disciplines.
In fact anecdotal and qualitative comparisons of models with data are not enough compelling to select models.
3.
Constrain the assumptions on the architecture, functioning, and
learning mechanisms of models on the basis of data on brain furnished
by neuroscience.
In fact you can always build different
models to reproduce an observed behaviour: using neuroscientic
constraints greatly aids the selection of models.
4. Test your models within embodied systems, endowed with
realistic bodies and interacting with realistic environments via noisy
and quantitative sensors and actuators.
This
constrain allow developing and selecting models which are capable of
scaling to reproduce the complexity of behaviour observed in real
organisms. It also forces models to be inerently quantitative (i.e. not
symbolic) and robust in the face of variety of input and noise.
5. Reproduce learning processes which lead to the target behavious.
This
is important to understand not only how behaviour is structured, but
also the mechanisms which lead to its acquisition. Indeed, a
substantial part of behaviour (say 20%) and brain structure (say 50%)
is as it is because it has to let the system to acquire with experience
and learning processes the behaviours it needs to increase fitness.
Collaborations with common publications:
1.
Prof. Redgrave Peter & Prof. Gurney Kevin (Dept. of
Psychology, University of Sheffield, England): integrated model of
amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, superior colliculus for the
regulation of learning and acquisiton of actions.
2.
Prof. Butz Martin (Dept. of psychology, Univ. of Wurzburg,
Germany): theoretical analysis of anticipatory behaviour.
3.
Balkenius Christian (Dept. Cognitive Science, Lund University,
Lund, Sweden): neural models of eye-hand coordination and of attention.
Other collaborations:
1.
Prof. Barto Andrew (Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, Boston,
USA): intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, hierarchical reinforcement
learning.
2. Prof. Ziemke Tom (Dept. of Cognitive
Science, Univ. of Skovde, Skovde, Sweden): integrated model of amygdala
and orbitofrontal cortex for the regulation of learning.
3.
Prof. Schmidhuber Jergen (Istituto Dalle Molle per l\rquote
Intelligenza Artificiale, Lugano, Svizzera): intrinsic motivations and
reinforcement learning.
4. Prof. Triesch Jochen
(Goethe University, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Germany):
neural models of vision.
5. Prof. Lee Mark
(Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, England):
neural models of leaning and development.
Collaborations with common publications, european projects, shared PhD students:
1.
Sandini Giulio (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Prof.
Bioengineering, Universit\'e0 di Genova) & Prof. Metta Giorgio
(Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Prof. Bioengineering, Universit\'e0
di Genova): exploitation of the humanoid robot iCub (a common
PhD, collaboration within IM-CLeVeR project).
2.
Guglielmelli Eugenio (Pro. Bioengineering, Campus Biomedico di
Roma) e Flavio Keller (Prof. Developmental neuroscience, Campus
Biomedico di Roma): Mechatronics, developmental robotics,
rehabilitation, (a shared PhD, collaboration within IM-CLeVeR).
3.
Puglisi-Allegra Stefano (Prof. Biopsycology, Dean Psicologia II,
Universit\'e0 di Roma La Sapienza) & Cabib Simona (Prof.
Biopsycology, Universit\'e0 di Roma La Sapienza): models of stress
coping and neuromodulators action (two shared PhDs).
4.
Borghi Anna (Senior Lecturer of Psychology, Universit\'e0 di
Bologna): models of affordances and tool use (common publications).
Collaborations with common publications, european projects, shared PhD students:
1.
Research group LARAL (\ldblquote Laboratory of Autonomous Robotics and
Artificial Life\rdblquote , Coordinator Nolfi Stefano): evolutionary
robotics, autonomous robotics.
2. Research group
PSY (\ldblquote Theoretical psychology\rdblquote , Coordinator
Castelfranchi Cristiano): (a) Colabroation within the project
MINDRaces; (b) Common publication in collective robotics and the
evolution of language.
3. Research group UCP
(\ldblquote Unit of Cognitive Primatology\rdblquote , Coordinator
Visalberghi Elisabetta): (a) Collaboration within the project
IM-CLeVeR; (b) Common publications on models of categorisation in
monkeys.
4. Research group related to EU project
ROSSI (Coordinators Anna Borghi and Domenico Parisi): affordances,
eye-hand coordination, and language.
Type, Number
Book chapters 3
Conference presentations 5
Summer school courses 1
Organisation commette
OMLL 2007 (Chair)
EvoLang 2006
SAB 2006
WIVA 2005 (2 Co-chairs)
ABiALS 2006 (Co-chair)
ABiALS 2008 (Co-chair)
Scientific commettee
Comitato scientifico ICDL 2008 ICDL 2009
Epirob 2008 Epirob 2009
SAB 2006 SAB 2008
IEEE CEC 2009
Promotion commettee
WIVA 2005
WIVA 2006
WIVACE 2007
WIVACE 2008
WIVACE 2009
International Journals
Frontiers in Neurorobotics
Adaptive Behavior
Connection Science
IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cyb.
IEEE Trans. in neural netw.
Cognitive Processing
Mind & Society
Sistemi Intelligenti
Interface
International Conferences
IJCNN
SAB
CogSci
EuroCogSci EpiRob
ICDL
CEC
EvoLang
Name: Dimitri Ognibene
Type:
Period: 2004-2008
Date degree:
Supervisor: Giulio Sandini
Co-supervisor: Gianluca Baldassarre
Institute of degree: Dipartimento di Informatica Sistemistica e Telematica, Universita\rquote di Genova, Genova, Italia
Name: Daniele Caligiore
Type:
Period: 2007-2010
Date degree:
Supervisor: Eugenio Guglielmelli
Co-supervisor: Gianluca Baldassarre
Institute of degree: Universita\rquote Campus Biomedico, Roma, Italia
Name: Vincenzo Fiore
Type:
Period: 2008-2011
Date degree:
Supervisor: Stefano Pugliesi-Allegra
Co-supervisor: Gianluca Baldassarre
Institute
of degree: Facolta\rquote di psicologia, Universita\rquote degli Studi
di Roma \ldblquote La Sapienza\rdblquote , Roma, Italia
Dottorato in psicobiologia
Name: Francesco Mannella
Period: 2006-2009
Type: Dottorato in psicobiologia
Date degree:
Supervisor: Stefano Pugliesi-Allegra
Co-supervisor: Gianluca Baldassarre
Institute
of degeree: Facolta\rquote di psicologia, Universita\rquote degli Studi
di Roma \ldblquote La Sapienza\rdblquote , Roma, Italia
Name: Alberto Venditti
Period: 01/01/2007 31/12/2007
Istitute of degree: Facolta\rquote di Psicologia, Universit\'e0 di Roma \ldblquote La Sapienza\rdblquote , Roma, Italia
Name, period, Institute of Origin
Rob Lowe: 06/04/2009 09/05/2009 Cognitive Science, University of Skovde, Skovde, Sweden
Ansgar
Koene: 26/05/2009 02/06/2009
Department of Psychology, Univesity of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK