Robots can be (good) models.
It appears there is general support amongst the commentaries for the potential usefulness of biorobots as models, with some caveats. These include the issue that not all areas of biology have been addressed by this methodology (and perhaps some cannot be?); and that other methodologies may sometimes be more useful. Which dimensions of biorobotic (or other models) are considered important varies with the goals of the investigator. These goals are also an essential part of the "modelling relationship."
Webb
Barbara
B
Department of Psychology, Centre for Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, United Kingdom b.b.webb@stir.ac.uk www.stir.ac.uk/psychology/Staff/bhw1/