Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploring The Modularity And Structure Of Robots Evolved In Multiple Environments, Collin Cappelle

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Traditional techniques for the design of robots require human engineers to plan every aspect of the system, from body to controller. In contrast, the field of evolu- tionary robotics uses evolutionary algorithms to create optimized morphologies and neural controllers with minimal human intervention. In order to expand the capability of an evolved agent, it must be exposed to a variety of conditions and environments.

This thesis investigates the design and benefits of virtual robots which can reflect the structure and modularity in the world around them. I show that when a robot’s morphology and controller enable it to perceive each …