Nagaoka University of Technology
   
 

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Kitajima, M., Toyota, M., and Nakahira, K.T. (2025)

Kitajima, M., Toyota, M., and Nakahira, K.T. (2025). Why the Symbol Grounding Problem Matters in Virtual Reality: A Meme-Focused Solution Based on the Model Human Processor with Real-Time Constraints. International Journal on Advances in Intelligent Systems, 18, 162-172.

 

Why the Symbol Grounding Problem Matters in Virtual Reality: A Meme-Focused Solution Based on the Model Human Processor with Real-Time Constraints

Virtual Reality (VR) environment presents objects that the users perceive and interact with. The system then transitions to a new state, reflecting the outcome of the interaction based on the user's perception of the presented objects. For seamless interaction between a Virtual Reality (VR) environment and its users, the meanings assigned to objects by VR application developers must align with the meanings perceived by users. This study proposes a method to enable such seamless interaction by treating the objects presented in VR as symbols and addressing the relationship between the meanings embedded in those symbols and the meanings interpreted by users. This is achieved through the lens of the symbol grounding problem, a well-known challenge in the field of artificial intelligence. Based on the Mode Human Processor with Realtime Constraints (MHP/RT), a cognitive architecture capable of handling action selection in everyday environments, we focus on the idea that users' action selections are influenced by memes - culturally transmitted units of meaning passed down through generations. These memes shape users' understanding of their surrounding world. We suggest that the symbol grounding problem can be addressed by identifying and observing the memes that users draw upon in their daily behavior. We suggest that implementing extracted memes within a Virtual Reality (VR) system can address the symbol grounding problem and enable seamless interaction based on a shared understanding of the symbols mediating between the user and the system.

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