Embodied cognitive morphogenesis as a route to intelligent systems.
Interface focus June 6, 2023 Bradly Alicea, Richard Gordon, Jesse Parent
The authors propose that embryological development and embodied cognition are complementary, not contradictory, and can be unified as embodied cognitive morphogenesis. In this view, morphogenetic symmetry breaking creates specialized subsystems that enable autonomous behaviors, producing fluctuating asymmetry and information-processing capabilities. Three key properties—acquisition, generativity, and transformation—are captured by models such as tensegrity networks, differentiation trees, and embodied hypernetworks. These models help identify symmetry-breaking events in developmental time. The authors conclude by framing these systems as connectogenesis, linking phenotypic parts into an approach useful for analyzing organisms and designing bioinspired computational agents.