Abstract

Open peer commentary on the article “Applying Radical Constructivism to Machine Learning: A Pilot Study in Assistive Robotics” by Markus Nowak, Claudio Castellini & Carlo Massironi. Upshot: Thousands of projects aimed at improving the functionality of upper-limb prostheses over the decades have failed to significantly advance the field of assistive robotics. Having been unfamiliar with radical constructivism so far, I want to see how its approach could contribute, particularly for amputees. Perhaps the most profound insight to be gained from RC is that the prosthesis is the machine to be taught by the user to serve her needs, not the other way around.