James Caska wrote:

> In my experience GE and GP only really work when you have
> huge populations (hundreds of thousands) over large numbers
> of generations (hundreds). It may prove impractical for a
> couple of dozon physical real robots to learn how to walk.
> Simulated robots using simulated PIC's on the other hand...
> You could build a simulated Robot, plug it into Virtual
> Breadboard with a PIC16F877 simulated controller and let your
> bots make whoopie :-)

I have had good results with GAs and populations of 100 with only a
moderate number of generations (<50).
I don't know about GP though.
As far as simulation goes...it seems that it would be difficult to
simulate the real world part (the physics of motion) that is needed for
feedback.

> Hey now this becoming fun. While I am at it I could make an
> internet plugin extension to virtual breadboard to allow
> interested members to host their own pet robots as part of
> the "collective" (any trekies out there) so that potentially
> several thousand simulated robots could be going at it like
> rabbits at any one time.

Definitely, the robots do not have to be in the same room :-)
They would have to be build on the same architecture though, I suppose.
If this is put into a kit form, I don't see why there couldn't be
thousands of these robots!

> And as it so happens..(no co-incidence really) I am just
> about to release the new version of Virtual Breadboard with
> an extensibily component and a PIC16F877 so I am motivated to
> contribute to something like this to increase interest in
> Virtual Breadboard. Once it learns to walk the real thing
> could be built to see how it goes.

I think there is real potential for something new here.
I can't recall seeing any collective robot learning projects yet.

Peter.

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