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SUMMARY:Simulating Fetal Sensory-Motor Experiences and Embodied Neural Lea
 rning - Yasuo Kuniyoshi\, Professor of Mechano-Informatics\, School of Inf
 ormation Science and Technology\, and Director of Next Generation AI Resea
 rch Center\, The University of Tokyo\, Japan.
DTSTART:20170619T110000Z
DTEND:20170619T120000Z
UID:TALK72991@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Josie Hughes
DESCRIPTION:Development is a continuous causal process involving complex i
 nteraction between genes\, body\, nervous system and environment. Although
  the whole process may be too complicated\, fetal interaction and developm
 ent can be relatively more tractable to model. From a dynamical systems po
 int of view\, the beginning part of the temporal development trajectory pr
 ovides an important information about the underlying principles governing 
 the developmental dynamics. We constructed a computer simulation model of 
 a human fetus. It consists of a musculo-skeletal body\, uterus\, and basic
  nervous system. It exhibits spontaneous motor development and sensory-mot
 or map organization comparable to human data. Also\, by changing the model
  parameters\, we can simulate "atypical" development. Our series of experi
 ments shows that sensory-motor experiences in the fetal period can be cruc
 ial to the formation of body representations\, which are significantly aff
 ected under "preterm birth" conditions\, providing new insights about the 
 developmental origins of social cognition and autism spectrum disorders.
LOCATION:Oatley Meeting Room 1\,  Engineering\, Department of
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