Artificial evolution of robot bodies and control: on the interaction between evolution, learning and culture. (31st January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hart, Emma; Le Goff, Léni K.
• Is Part Of: Philosophical transactions. Volume 377:Number 1843(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01-31
• Subjects: evolution -- individual learning -- cultural learning; Biology -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals; 570
• DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0117
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-8436

Abstract

Abstract : We survey and reflect on how learning (in the form of individual learning and/or culture) can augment evolutionary approaches to the joint optimization of the body and control of a robot. We focus on a class of applications where the goal is to evolve the body and brain of a single robot to optimize performance on a specified task. The review is grounded in a general framework for evolution which permits the interaction of artificial evolution acting on a population with individual and cultural learning mechanisms. We discuss examples of variations of the general scheme of 'evolution plus learning' from a broad range of robotic systems, and reflect on how the interaction of the two paradigms influences diversity, performance and rate of improvement. Finally, we suggest a number of avenues for future work as a result of the insights that arise from the review. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines'.