Evo-Devo-Robo: How the Evolution of development helps us build better robots

Most animals exhibit significant neurological and morphological change throughout their lifetimes as a result of evolution. However, to date no robots grow new morphological structures while behaving. This is due to technological limitations but also because it is unclear that morphological change provides a benefit to the acquisition of robust behavior in machines. Assistant Professor Joshua Bongard, head of the Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory at the University of Vermont and winner of a 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) will give a talk

showing that it is easier to generate behaviors for robots that undergo body plan change than it is to evolve behav-

Joshua Bongard Assistant Professor Computer Science University of Vermont

April 10, 2012

iors for morphologically fixed robots.

12pm | Barnum 008