On the evolution of motility and intelligent tactic response

ABSTRACT

We present our first results concerning the de novo evolution of motility and tactic response in systems of digital organisms. Our model organism was E. coli and the behavior of interest was gradient following, since this represents simple decision-making. Our first experiments demonstrated the evolution of a tactic response, both when provided with a hand-coded system to remember previous gradient concentrations and without this crutch where the organisms must determine how to store previous values on their own. In our second set of experiments we investigated two different rotation strategies, random and systematic, and found no significant performance difference between the two strategies. These experiments served as a stepping-stone and proof-of-concept of the infrastructure needed for our future work on the evolution of simple intelligence.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.0 General

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.0 General

General Terms:
Experimentation

Keywords:
avida, chemotaxis, digital evolution, experimental evolution, gradient following