Evolution in robots?

layke · 26-02-2007 1:21pm #1

According to this article, scientists have developed robot software that has the ability to mimic genomes and selective evolution!

While not quite on the same level as biological evolution, its a pretty interesting read. I think the creationists may take a hit on this one in the long run as humans begin to create their own basic versions of life.

It's very basic but were well on the way to creating our own version of life.
Just wondering when were going to hear how evil, imorral and against god such a technology is.

Robots that artificially evolve ways to communicate with one another have been demonstrated by Swiss researchers. The experiments suggest that simulated evolution could be a useful tool for those designing of swarms of robots.

Roboticists Dario Floreano, Sara Mitri, and Stéphane Magnenat at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne collaborated with biologist Laurent Keller from the University of Lausanne.

They first evolved colonies of robots in software then tested different strategies on real bots. Both simulated and real robots were set loose in an arena containing two types of objects – one classified as "food" and another designated "poison" – both lit up red.

Each bot had a built-in attraction to food and aversion to poison. They also have a randomly-generated set of parameters, dubbed "genomes" that define the way they move, process sensory information, and how they flash their own blue lights.

"They start with completely random behaviour," Keller explains. "All they can do is discriminate food from poison." The robots can see both food or poison from a distance of several metres but can only tell them apart when almost touching.

joe_chicken · 26-02-2007 1:43pm

Yep, to paraphrase Homer Simpson evolution is on computers these days...

Zombrex · 26-02-2007 2:44pm

Not particularly new, evolutionary principles have been used by computer programmers since the 60s AFAIK.

Creationists don't accept that this is evolution "working" of course, they claim that intelligence had to write the software program first, so it is cheating.

They clearly don't understand what a simulation is, if a complex computer program simulates the weather it doesn't mean the weather is intelligently designed. This was done to death with JC on the Creationists thread in Christianity forum, and I still don't think he grasped what people were talking about.

But then Creationists are idiots ...

bonkey · 26-02-2007 3:31pm

Wicknight wrote:

Not particularly new, evolutionary principles have been used by computer programmers since the 60s AFAIK.

I'd agree. What is being described sounds like a fairly standard implementation of GA (Genetic Algorithms).

What is interesting (and perhaps new) about it is that it shows how unexpected traits/benefits can arise. From what I can see, the communication which "evolved" was never an explicit part of the fitness algorithms used, nor of the goal being sought.

Tar.Aldarion · 26-02-2007 5:46pm

I know a post grad doing this, it's really cool. Especially with a robt teaching itself slowly.

5uspect · 26-02-2007 6:39pm

I've remember reading about GAs being used to allow a fancy customisable breadboard type thingy (technical as always!) to evolve into the required type of circuit. Apparently it began to operate outside the simple on off digital type curcuits we're used to seeing and essentially became an analogue beast.

toiletduck · 28-02-2007 1:34am

^^^ I did my FYP in that area, would have much preferred some of the other projects going around tbh!

koHd · 28-02-2007 2:03am

It's all very interesting indeed.

This is similar to something I watched recently with Will Wright (games desinger) and Brian Eno (music producer).

They demonstrate in a video a very simple program that with a simple algorithm the program can create something really complex.

Here's the video

And here's an entry I made in my personal blog I write to keep track of my crazy thoughts so I can one day write something that makes sense:

Sunday, February 11, 2007
Are We Living In A Generative System?

I've just watched a great lecture by Will Wright (computer games creator) and Brian Eno (music composor and producer). It sparked my interest in the debate of what is reality. And the possibilty of humans and our universe being a creation of somebody from a much more advanced universe.

One of the most interesting lessons I took from the lecture was generative systems (refers to systems that use a few basic rules to yield extremely varied and unpredictable patterns). By understanding generative systems and algorithm (a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, as for finding the greatest common divisor) it makes the possibility of our universe being a creation of another being much more feasible. They basically point out that extremely complex worlds can be created using a simple algorithm. In effect just planting a "seed" into the algorithm and watching as it's life unfolds. And the creator never quite knows what the result is going to be.

"You create seeds rather than forests" - Brian Eno.

A very nice demonstration of a generative system is a sequence of pixels (or cells) with a very simple programmed algorithm. The algorithm determines how each pixel reacts to one another. Either creating more pixels or killing currently live pixels. It's all down to the rules set by the programmer. The pixels develop over their life from a simple "seed" into complex sequence designs of pixels that are alive and always changing.

One thing I always thought of when pondering the origin of life and the universe is how unimaginably complex everything is. From how our organs work to the fact that there are natural resources available that we as humans require to live. Like nutrients and vitamins found in fruit and vegetables. To write or create every single rule of our universe is just not feasible to the human mind. But with the undertanding of generative systems I can grasp that it wouldn't take thinking out every individual rule of our universe for it to be in perfect harmony. But infact it could all be the work of a generative system that has everything in our world so perfectly balanced because it creates the more complex rules using the simple algorithm as it goes along. Just like the symmetrical pixel pattern developed in this computer program that started as four pixels and developed into an extremely complex design that was alive and always changing.

The main event of the lecture was Will Wright's new game 'Spore'. They show some elements of the "world" of 'Spore' itself with a hands on demonstration. And after a few minutes you realise how huge this project is. Spore is a universe and life simulation. It is known as a 'metaverse' (universe within a universe). And it's something I've always thought about. Humans creating other realms or universes. Spore wouldn't be considered our reality (something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive.) . But is it another reality? Are the creatures and everything in the Spore universe, reality within that universe? Could we be a similar, much more advanced creation of intelligence from another universe?

You can see the lecture hosted by The Long Now Foundation that Will Wright and Brian Eno gave at fora.tv

5uspect · 28-02-2007 11:28am

Actually have you seen Will Wright's new game spore?

Its not proper evolution, it's more intelligent design tho...
Looks like fun all the same.

koHd · 28-02-2007 3:39pm

Yep. I mention Spore near the end of my blog post.

It's gonna be amazing. But I think I'll stick with Civilization IV. King of all games

Myksyk · 28-02-2007 5:36pm

I saw something similar to this years ago in a programme where engineers wrote in CAD programmes specifying certain criteria for the production of a moving/moveable machine (once a battery/engine was attached). Each generation of designs produced a best mover and this was fed back in to the system to inform future generations. After a number of such runs they arrived at a simple but very strange machine which, once powered, could move fairly quickly across level ground. No-one had 'designed' it per se or envisaged the finished product whatsoever (it was actually quite weird). Only the initial setting conditions and criteria were set. It was fascinating.

Creationists tend to rubbish this as an obvious case of intelligent design while failing to see/admit that whatever the starting point, there is unguided evolution after that which is akin to natural selection. Addressing the 'in the beginning' question is another matter.

5uspect · 28-02-2007 7:40pm

koHd wrote:

Yep. I mention Spore near the end of my blog post.

It's gonna be amazing. But I think I'll stick with Civilization IV. King of all games

Sorry, I didn't read it.

Evolution in robots?

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