Evolving a novel bio-inspired controller in reconfigurable robots

Abstract

Evolutionary robotics uses evolutionary computation to optimize physically embodied agents. We present here a framework for performing off-line evolution of a pluripotent robot controller that manages to form multicellular robotic organisms from a swarm of autonomously moving small robot modules. We describe our evolutionary framework, show first results and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of our off-line evolution approach. In detail, we explain the single parts of the framework and a novel homeostatic hormone-based controller, which is shaped by artificial evolution to control both, the non-aggregated single robotic modules and the joined high-level robotic organisms. As a first step we present results of this evolutionary shaped controller showing the potential for different motion behaviours. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.