title: Behavioural plasticity in evolving robots.
abstract: In this paper, we show how the development of plastic behaviours, i.e., behaviour displaying a modular organisation characterised by behavioural subunits that are alternated in a context-dependent manner, can enable evolving robots to solve their adaptive task more efficiently also when it does not require the accomplishment of multiple conflicting functions. The comparison of the results obtained in different experimental conditions indicates that the most important prerequisites for the evolution of behavioural plasticity are: the possibility to generate and perceive affordances (i.e., opportunities for behaviour execution), the possibility to rely on flexible regulatory processes that exploit both external and internal cues, and the possibility to realise smooth and effective transitions between behaviours.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Via S. Martino della Battaglia, 44, 00185, Rome, Italy. jonatatyska@gmail.com.|Center for Computational Sciences (C3), Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Italia, km 8, Rio Grande, 96203-900, Brazil. jonatatyska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jônata Tyska
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Via S. Martino della Battaglia, 44, 00185, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nolfi
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003198:Computer Simulation; D000069550:Machine Learning; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011336:Probability; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Action switching; Autonomous robotics; Behavioural plasticity; Evolutionary robotics; Modularity; Multiple behaviours