Evolving individual and collective behaviours for the Kilobot robot

Abstract

This paper demonstrates how individual and collective behaviours of robots can be evolved using a novel technique of applying a genetic algorithm on a lookup table based chromosome. The evolved behaviours are: orbiting a stationary robot; navigation between three robots; follow the leader using six robots; and robot dispersal where the robots move away from each other. These behaviours are based on those used by Harvard University when demonstrating some of the collective behaviours that can be implemented by the Kilobot robot. With careful selection of the lookup tables and fitness functions all the above behaviours can be successfully evolved.