1. English Theme 45 3.11-p.87 Date: June 5, 2007 Room: 8-405
Instructor: Mafuyu Kitahara
Material: Thelen, E. (1995) “Time-scale dynamics and the development of an embodied cognition” in R. Port and T. van Gelder (eds.) Mind as motion, Cambridge: MIT Press

2. 3.11 Learning about forces Reaching: complicated coordination
Get the position of the target through the eyes
Transduce the coordinates: head-eye to shoulder-hand system
Control a highly non-linear arm system
Joints: shoulder, elbow, wrist... angle
Weight: balance of the body
Perturbations: all connected, not independent
How is it possible?
Prescribed? ... Who designed it?

3. Dynamical perspective
Reach attractor
Which are critical?
Record all movements and find new form arising
Findings
Start from ongoing movements, not from ZERO
Individual differences
Adjusting limb forces to the task

4. Gabriel: an active guy
Oscillating spring
Limit cycle
Damped system