research-article

On the impact of body material properties on neuroevolution for embodied agents: the case of voxel-based soft robots

Authors:

Giorgia Nadizar,

Federico PigozziAuthors Info & Claims

GECCO '22: Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion

Pages 2122 - 2130

https://doi.org/10.1145/3520304.3533967

Published: 19 July 2022 Publication History

Abstract

Artificial agents required to perform non-trivial tasks are commonly controlled with Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), which need to be carefully fine-tuned. This is where ANN optimization comes into play, often in the form of Neuroevolution (NE). Among artificial agents, the embodied ones are characterized by a strong body-brain entanglement, i.e., a strong interdependence between the physical properties of the body and the controller. In this work, we aim at characterizing said interconnection, experimentally evaluating the impact body material properties have on NE for embodied agents. We consider the case of Voxel-based Soft Robots (VSRs), a class of simulated modular soft robots which achieve movement through the rhythmical contraction and expansion of their modules. We experiment varying several physical properties of VSRs and assess the effectiveness of the evolved controllers for the task of locomotion, together with their robustness and adaptability. Our results confirm the existence of a deep body-brain interrelationship for embodied agents, and highlight how NE fruitfully exploits the physical properties of the agents to give rise to a wide gamut of effective and adaptable behaviors.

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Cited By

Rusin FMedvet E(2024)How Perception, Actuation, and Communication Impact the Emergence of Collective Intelligence in Simulated Modular RobotsArtificial Life10.1162/artl_a_0044730:4(448-465)Online publication date: 5-Nov-2024
https://doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00447
Mertan ACheney NLi XHandl J(2024)Towards Multi-Morphology Controllers with Diversity and Knowledge DistillationProceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference10.1145/3638529.3654013(367-376)Online publication date: 14-Jul-2024
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Medvet ENadizar G(2024)GP for Continuous Control: Teacher or Learner? The Case of Simulated Modular Soft RobotsGenetic Programming Theory and Practice XX10.1007/978-981-99-8413-8_11(203-224)Online publication date: 18-Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8413-8_11
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On the impact of body material properties on neuroevolution for embodied agents: the case of voxel-based soft robots

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cover image ACM Conferences

GECCO '22: Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion

July 2022

2395 pages

ISBN:9781450392686

DOI:10.1145/3520304

Editor:
Jonathan E. Fieldsend
University of Exeter
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Markus Wagner
The University of Adelaide

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Published: 19 July 2022

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July 9 - 13, 2022

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Cited By

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https://doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00447
Mertan ACheney NLi XHandl J(2024)Towards Multi-Morphology Controllers with Diversity and Knowledge DistillationProceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference10.1145/3638529.3654013(367-376)Online publication date: 14-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3638529.3654013
Medvet ENadizar G(2024)GP for Continuous Control: Teacher or Learner? The Case of Simulated Modular Soft RobotsGenetic Programming Theory and Practice XX10.1007/978-981-99-8413-8_11(203-224)Online publication date: 18-Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8413-8_11
Mertan ACheney N(2024)Investigating Premature Convergence in Co-optimization of Morphology and Control in Evolved Virtual Soft RobotsGenetic Programming10.1007/978-3-031-56957-9_3(38-55)Online publication date: 3-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-031-56957-9_3
Mertan ACheney NSilva SPaquete L(2023)Modular Controllers Facilitate the Co-Optimization of Morphology and Control in Soft RobotsProceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference10.1145/3583131.3590416(174-183)Online publication date: 15-Jul-2023
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Pietrosanti GNadizar GPigozzi FMedvet E(2023)Human Control of Simulated Modular Soft Robots May Predict the Performance of Optimized AI-Based ControllersIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2023.334291211(143069-143080)Online publication date: 2023
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Szorkovszky AVeenstra FGlette K(2023)Central pattern generators evolved for real-time adaptation to rhythmic stimuliBioinspiration & Biomimetics10.1088/1748-3190/ace01718:4(046020)Online publication date: 29-Jun-2023
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Nadizar GMedvet ENichele SPontes-Filho S(2023)An experimental comparison of evolved neural network models for controlling simulated modular soft robotsApplied Soft Computing10.1016/j.asoc.2023.110610145:COnline publication date: 1-Sep-2023
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Medvet ERusin F(2023)Impact of Morphology Variations on Evolved Neural Controllers for Modular RobotsArtificial Life and Evolutionary Computation10.1007/978-3-031-31183-3_22(266-277)Online publication date: 30-Apr-2023
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