Operational aspects of the evolved signalling behaviour in a group of cooperating and communicating robots

Abstract

This paper complements the results and analysis shown in current studies on the evolution of signalling and cooperation. It describes operational aspects of the evolved behaviour of a group of robots equipped with a different set of sensors, that navigates towards a target in a walled arena. In particular, analysis of the sound signalling behaviour shows that the robots employ the sound to remain close to each other at a safe distance with respect to the risk of collisions. Spatial discrimination of the sound sources is achieved by exploiting a rotational movement which amplifies intensity differences between the two sound sensors. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.