Design choices for adapting bio-hybrid systems with evolutionary computation

Abstract

In this paper we report ongoing work evolving bio-hybrid societies. We develop robots that are integrated into an animal society and accepted as conspecifics. We are using evolutionary algorithms to optimise robot controllers to affect the behaviour of animals. Fitness evaluation is the result of measuring the effect a robot controller has on these animals. Animal habituation and heterogeneous response are two factors that have a major role in this fitness evaluation. We discuss our choices in designing a fitness evaluation procedure and how using animals as fitness function providers impacts this.