My overriding research interest is the possibility of understanding and abstracting the necessary features of biological evolution in order to re-create such processes (i.e. the open-ended evolution of complex adaptations) in man-made systems (which could be, for example, in software, robots, or molecular- and nano-machines).
Most existing artificial evolution systems tend to fizzle out after a while, which demonstrates that it is not just Darwinian evolution that is required -- it is necessary to specify further requirements about the way the organisms and the environment are constructed, and how they interact.
A summary of my current research interests is as follows:
| Theoretical | Artificial evolutionary systems. Evolvability. Open-ended evolution. Self-replication. Ecology as a drive for evolution. Relational biology and autopoiesis. Combining genetic and cultural evolution with lifetime learning. |
| Applied | Biologically-inspired
controllers for robot swarms. Evolution of morphology and behaviour for
physically-modelled creatures.
Behavioural animation. |
More information can be found on the following pages:
Document last updated: Tim Taylor, Monday, 15 January 2007