An Emergent Framework for Self-Motivation in Developmental Robotics

This paper explores a philosophy and connectionist algorithm for creating a long-term, self-motivated developmental robot control system. Self-motivation is viewed as an emergent property arising from two competing pressures: the need to accurately predict the environment while simultaneously wanting to seek out novelty in the environment. These competing internal pressures are designed to drive the system in a manner reminiscent of a co-evolutionary arms race.