Advances in Unconventional Computing

Abstract

Research in substrate-based computing has shown that materials contain rich properties that can be exploited to solve computational problems. One such technique known as Evolution-in-materio uses evolutionary algorithms to manipulate material substrates for computation. However, in general, modelling the computational processes occurring in such systems is a difficult task and understanding what part of the embodied system is doing the computation is still fairly ill-defined. This chapter discusses the prospects of using Reservoir Computing as a model for in-materio computing, introducing new training techniques (taken from Reservoir Computing) that could overcome training difficulties found in the current Evolution-in-Materio technique.