Robot Metacognition: Decision Making with Confidence for Tool Invention

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16390v1
• Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:10:07 GMT
• Title: Robot Metacognition: Decision Making with Confidence for Tool Invention
• Abstract summary: In humans, this self-monitoring or metacognition is crucial for learning, decision making and problem solving.<n>Taking inspiration from neuroscience, we propose a robot metacognition architecture centered on confidence.<n> Confidence-informed robots can evaluate the reliability of their decisions, improving their robustness during real-world physical deployment.
• Score: 0.3957768262206625
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Abstract: Robots today often miss a key ingredient of truly intelligent behavior: the ability to reflect on their own cognitive processes and decisions. In humans, this self-monitoring or metacognition is crucial for learning, decision making and problem solving. For instance, they can evaluate how confident they are in performing a task, thus regulating their own behavior and allocating proper resources. Taking inspiration from neuroscience, we propose a robot metacognition architecture centered on confidence (a second-order judgment on decisions) and we demonstrate it on the use case of autonomous tool invention. We propose the use of confidence as a metacognitive measure within the robot decision making scheme. Confidence-informed robots can evaluate the reliability of their decisions, improving their robustness during real-world physical deployment. This form of robotic metacognition emphasizes embodied action monitoring as a means to achieve better informed decisions. We also highlight potential applications and research directions for robot metacognition.

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