OBIMOD Open-ended Bio-Inspired Modelling and Design Workshop
Date and time: Tuesday 22nd July 2008 at 13:00
Location: UG40, School of Computer Science
Strongly bio-inspired models and design procedures draw inspiration from biological processes, physiological mechanisms, neural dynamics and other complex phenomena observed in nature. Unfortunately, bio-inspired notions are often quickly applied to and validated on optimisation problems, resulting in a short-term struggle for performance that forsakes the original inspiring principles. Releasing the focus from the performance, OBIMOD researchers enjoy more freedom to explore original ideas, novel approaches and devote more attention to the inspiring sources. Open-ended bio-inspired modelling and design investigate ideas like gene regulatory networks and artificial genomes, developmental processes, scalable and novel neural systems, generative, robust, fault-tolerant and immune systems, artiticial behaviour and Alife, learning, memory and other.
This workshop was organised to bring together OBIMOD researchers at the School of Computer Science.
Please note that the following programme is not final.
Programme:
13:00 - 13:05 Andrea Soltoggio - Introduction
13:05 - 13:30 Ben Jones - Evolving Functional Symmetry in a Three Dimensional Model of an Elongated Organism Abstract - In any organism having a nervous system, a rich coupling exists between the nervous system and the organism's body-plan (think of a jelly fish compared to a flatworm). During evolution, this coupling evolved in a complex fashion resulting in a divergence of body-plan symmetries. In a given fish-swimming type niche, bilateral symmetry is advantageous to the fish, but the coupling underpinning this advantage is less clear. To make it clearer, we constructed a model of an eel-like organism and evolved both the motor configuration (which we considered to be part of the body-plan) in concert with the nervous system (nb, a ctrnn controller). Although the modelled `organism' is no trout, simulated evolution typically finds motor configurations that are bilaterally symmetric. This signifies an importance in bilateral functionality allowing us to clarify the overall advantage of bilateral symmetry for long elongated organisms.
13:30 - 13:50 Victor Landassuri - A new Approach for Incremental Modular Neural Networks in Time Series Forecasting Abstract - Modular Neural Networks have been used to solve complex problems in a reduced amount of time, to obtain better performance on a range of tasks, and to provide a better understanding of the human brain. In this talk I will present the first stage of my research into Modular Neural Networks where the evolution of them allows an incremental architecture for solving more than one problem. The basis for developing that approach is described with some related issues in Time Series Forecasting using an Evolutionary Algorithm called EPNet.
13:50 - 14:10 Ed Robinson - tba Abstract - tba
14:10 - 14:35 Thomas Miconi - Fitness Transmission: A Genealogic Signature of Adaptive Evolution Abstract - We introduce Fitness Transmission as a simple statistical signature of adaptive evolution within a system. Fitness transmission is the correlation between the fitness of parents and children, where fitness is evaluated after the number of grandchildren, suitably normalised. This measure is a direct calculation based on a genealogical record, rather than on genetic or phenotypic observation. We point out that the Bedau-Packard statistics of evolutionary activity cannot be used as a reliable system-wide signature of adaptive evolution, because they can produce positive signals when applied to certain ``random'', non-evolutionary systems. We apply fitness transmission to simple evolutionary algorithms (as well as neutral equivalents) and demonstrate its capacity to accurately detect the presence or absence of Darwinian evolution.
14:35 - 14:50 Break
14:50 - 15:05 Andrea Soltoggio - An Introduction to Analog Genetic Encoding (AGE) Abstract - In biology, phenotypical features derive from a complex interactions of genes. Analog Genetic Encoding (AGE) is an encoding method developed at EPFL based on the idea of an artificial genome. AGE has been used to encode gene regulatory networks (GNRs), electronic circuits and other graphs like neural networks. The main features of AGE and how-tos will be covered in a short introduction.
15:05 - 15:25 Chris Bowers - An Introduction to Computational Embryogeny Abstract - Developmental processes clearly have a huge influence on biological systems yet the complex dynamics they introduce are poorly understood. In this talk I will discuss the relationship between developmental process and evolution utilising a simple computational model of embryogeny.
15:25 - 15: 40 Victor Landassuri - Special talk - Intelligent Recycling Station, a project for Imagine cup 2008 Abstract - In this talk I am going to describe an interactive device that helps with the task of recycling materials, reducing objects and trash in a home scenario. The project was developed with other two partners to participate in a Microsoft's competition called "Imagine cup 2008" in the embedded development category. Even though we started the project as hobby, we could pass to the final, so I will state too, some remarkable aspects for anyone interested in participate in this kind of competitions.
15:40 - 16:00 Andrea Soltoggio - Advantages of Neuromodulated Plasticity Abstract - Neuromodulation is considered a key factor for learning and memory in biology. We test this hypothesis in artificial neural networks by introducing a new type of neuron: modulatory neurons. Simulated evolution designs neural control networks for learning problems. The results show that modulatory neurons help achieving better learning. We conclude that modulatory neurons evolve autonomously in the proposed learning tasks, allowing for increased learning and memory capabilities.
16:00 : Late breaking talks and discussions