Brain area V6A: a cognitive model for an embodied artificial intelligence.

Abstract. We found that single neurons in the parietal area V6A of the macaque brain deal with all the components of reaching and grasping actions: locating in space the object target of action, directing the eyes toward it, sensing where the arm is in space, directing the arm toward the spatial location where the object is in order to reach and grasp it, adapting the grip to the object shape and size. The knowledge of how the brain codes simple visuomotor acts can be useful to build artificially-intelligent systems that have to interact with objects, localize them, direct their arm toward them, and grasp them with their gripper. Single cell recordings can also be useful in understanding how to perform more complex visuomotor tasks, like interacting with human beings, exchanging objects with them, and acting in an ever changing environment.