Toward open-ended evolutionary robotics: evolving elementary robotic units able to self-assemble and self-reproduce

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the limitations of current evolutionary robotics models and we propose a new framework that might solve some of these problems and lead to an open-ended evolutionary process in hardware. More specifically, the paper describes a novel approach, where the usual concepts of population, generations and fitness are made implicit in the system. Individuals co-evolve embedded in their environment. Exploiting the self-assembling capabilities of the (simulated) robots, the genotype of a successful individual can spread in the population. In this way, interesting behaviours spontaneously emerge, resulting in chasing and evading other individuals, collective obstacle avoidance, coordinated motion of self-assembled structures. 1.