Adaptive Evolution and Darwinian Selection in Robots

Natural selection: is it the law or consequence due to the constraints provided in the situation?
It is "the law" if you think nature as an agent at work and that requires some law to work on. On the other hand it is the consequence if  you view it with the concept of "natural process". The difference is subtle: do you conceive it as a work done by an agent or a continuous process?
Whatever it is, one thing is sure that Darwinian theory of natural selection is true for agents in the play ground. Be it living beings, or robots.
The understanding of nature and appreciation to it becomes rather huge once you have the capacity to build and mimic "natural behavior".
Scientists have been working on adaptive and evolutionary robots with capabilities to learn and hence are able to realize the Darwinian selection rule in such robotic agents as the consequence of such learning and adaptive behavior.
See some video...





Evolution of Adaptive Behaviour in Robots by Means of Darwinian Selection

• http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1000292
• http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-software/evolution-of-adaptive-behaviour-in-robots-by-means-of-darwinian-selection

Read more interesting stuffs...

• http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/robots-display-predator-prey-co-evolution-evolve-better-homing-techniques
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2010/02/evolving_robots.html
• http://www.botjunkie.com/2010/02/02/robots-evolve-cooperative-behaviors-learn-to-hunt-and-be-hunted
• http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10432608-1.html
• http://www.physorg.com/news184228204.html

Saturn's Ring through Mobile camera @ Observatory

Braving the Cold of First of February is not an easy thing to do. But if students make their mind, they will do it.
:)
Despite scattered snow in the beginning and in the end, we were lucky to see Mars and Saturn (and Moon of course!) Mars was visible for only few minutes after we started. Mars was playing hide and seek with us. We gave up on it as it was setting and clouds would never be clear on that side. 
Stunningly my mobile could take the picture of Saturn with its ring distinctly visible. My bigger camera could not get anything better because of auto focus feature...

Here are some pictures of the Events...

 

Phil Erner, adjusting the telescope... Flash photography was prohibited... I took few anyway!

It started snowing again, after we were done.

Old post on the same line...
http://www.nabinkm.com/2009/10/moon-pictures-from-observatory-earth.html

Stargazing @ SUNY Albany -- II

As a part of our Stargazing Events, We invite you to next event on Monday, Feb 1, 2010.


We will see three planets and our moon in the next stargazing session on Monday morning, Feb. 1, starting at 5:30 AM, which is around dawn.

Overcast skies blocked our session on Sunday. It is impossible to predict the weather with certainty; to learn why, take Fluid Mechanics (physics 472/572) or Bayesian Analysis (physics 551).

This early morning session will be a real treat. We can see Saturn, still plenty high toward the southwest. Six of its famous satellites may be in view about the planet's equator, while Iapetus appears to the lower right.

Our Moon is the most dazzling object to view at night through the telescope. On Monday morning it is a waning gibbous, nearing the western horizon.

Mars will be setting as we arrive, in view to the unaided eye but probably out of the telescope's sight. Someday we'll have to catch it up close; but this morning belongs to Mercury.

The sun's closest planet will give its best view for a while on Monday morning around 7. Not to get our hopes too high: up just before sunrise, Mercury may not reach the telescope's sight line before solar glare washes it away.

Please dress warmly as the observatory is outdoors! While waiting for a turn to view you may wish to wait in the warmer hallway.

If the weather isn't clear then we will cancel. Twitter AlbanyStarGaze for updates.

Bye Bye Mars Rover... Spirit [An attempt at fiction]

The quest had been "After so much time trying to come out of this slippery place... are they going to let it go?"  "The wheels are already not working, how long can they keep it dragging?" Public opinions are sometimes very sharp.


"I hate to be in this decision making eco-system..." remarks Dr. Z.
"After being involved in this project for some fraction of my life, I feel like.." [his voice breaks]...

"... It is like a family member after you spent so much time with it. ..." [he gathers it]

"... we had so many nice time together..."
"Had it been killed immediately after its time was up, it would have been less painful... As a project manager I have seen so many projects come and go."

"We expected it to last for what ... 90 days? give or take ... it has been running for six years in row ... day and night... We even changed our life style for it's efficient use."

Finally, the call has come into order.

"I am sorry to leave you there in cold... and alone. 
Bye Bye Spirit... you will be remembered."


http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20100126a.html
Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004. They have been exploring for six years, far surpassing their original 90-day mission. Opportunity currently is driving toward a large crater called Endeavor and continues to make scientific discoveries. It has driven approximately 12 miles and returned more than 133,000 images.

[This is just a fiction]
Incidently, tonight marks one significant date

On Jan. 27, Mars will be closer to Earth than any other time between 2008 and 2014.

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/mars-earth-close-encounter/

Observatory Night@ SUNY Albany

For our first session of the semester two great planets and our moon as well as farther, wider objects will be in view.

Jupiter, one of the top two planets to see in any telescope, will be setting just as we arrive on the rooftop. At 5 pm it won't yet be dusk, so the sun's glare may prevent us from viewing Jupiter's four giant moons. We will need luck in order to catch the planet in the telescope.

Will anyone bring binoculars? In any case we can get acquainted with the planet using just our eyes.

Our Moon is the most fabulous object to view at night through the telescope. On Sunday it is a waxing gibbous, an excellent time to zero in on the landing sites of some of the Apollo missions! (Sorry, we can't see the flags.)

Next, as we peer at a cloudy white region known as the Great Nebula in Orion, we can imagine it is the birth of our own sun - probably similar stars are being born there now!

Mars will be on the rise as we prepare to exit the premises. While it may not be viewable in the scope, we can identify the planet for next week; its position won't change much in that time!

Remember to dress warmly as the observatory is outdoors! While waiting for your turn to view you may wish to wait in the warmer hallway.

If the weather isn't clear then we will cancel.
Follow the announcements at AlbanyStarGaze for updates.

--

Phil Erner
PhD student, SUNY Albany.

Note: We will be bringing pictures of the event and updates.
Previously we had some nice moon pictures... here.