Thursday Morning Talk

Tim Kietzmann (University of Osnabrück), “Large language models offer a rich representational format for understanding the transformation of visual information in the human brain.”

Abstract: Originating from the connectionist movement of cognitive science, deep neural networks (DNNs) have had tremendous influence on artificial intelligence, operating at the core of today’s most powerful applications. At the same time, cognitive computational neuroscientists have recognised their promise to act as “Goldilocks” models of brain function: DNNs are grounded in sensory data, can

Distinguished Speaker Series

Antonio Bicchi (University of Pisa), “What is it like to be a bot?”

Abstract The impressive evolution that artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics have recently undergone reached a point where it is now possible to fuse these technologies and create another body for the self. This possibility poses new questions at the core of embodied intelligence. In this talk I will examine a few of the technical,

Thursday Morning Talk

Christian Poth (Bielefeld University), “Task-driven phasic alertness: How being ready for action relies on the current task”

Abstract: Humans often must respond quickly to events happening in their environment. To support fast perception and action, the brain has evolved a warning system. Warning stimuli are used to elicit a transient state of readiness for perception and action (phasic alertness) that results in faster perceptual processing and faster decision-making for action. Phasic alertenss

Distinguished Speaker Series

POSTPONED: Onur Güntürkün (Ruhr-Universität Bochum), “The evolution of brain and cognition: A wild hypothesis”

Onur Güntürkün is regarded as a pioneer of biologically based psychology. The aim of his work is to find out how perception, thought and action arise in the brain. He is interested in diverse topics, such as motor learning, fear, risk-taking behavior and even kissing. In his research, Güntürkün combines psychological, biological and neuroanatomical aspects

Distinguished Speaker Series

Michael Beetz (Universität Bremen), “Empowering Robots with Digital Mental Models: Filling the Cognitive Gap for Everyday Tasks”

In this talk I introduce Digital Mental Models (DMMs) as a novel cognitive capability of AI-powered and cognition-enabled robots. By combining digital twin technology with symbolic knowledge representation and embodying this combination into robots, we tackle the challenge of converting vague task requests into specific robot actions, that is robot motions that cause desired physical

Thursday Morning Talk

Fariba Karimi (Graz University of Technology), “Complexity Science for Societal Good”

MAR 2.057

Abstract: Social inequalities -- structured and recurrent patterns of unequal distribution of wealth, opportunities, and rewards -- are on the rise, and quick-fix, top-down approaches are failing. Structural inequality is one of the important manifestations of social inequalities in which institutions, policies, and societies create systems of privilege that are structural barriers to equality and

Thursday Morning Talk

Hector Garcia de Marina (University of Granada), “Practical challenges in formation control and mobile robot swarms”

MAR 2.057

Abstract: Robot swarms have the potential to assist us with simpler logistics in persistent missions involving vast scenarios. Robot swarms also promise added resilience to complete their objectives despite unforeseen difficulties. However, current demonstrations of swarm technology in unstructured environments only count on single-digit individuals. That is farther from what one would expect from the

Thursday Morning Talk

Pavel Němec (Charles University), “Two independent origins of complex brains and intelligent behavior in birds and mammals”

Abstract: Over the last 20 years, it has been shown that birds and mammals are startlingly similar in their cognitive repertoire. Even the most intelligent taxa from each group – great apes and large corvids and parrots – match each other in most domains of cognition. This functional similarity is remarkable considering that birds and