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Aggregate Boid behavior to aid in artificial autopoietic organization
Steven Lawrence1, Chrystopher L Nehaniv1
1University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, ON, Canada.
Bio Systems
|June 3, 2024
Summary
This study explores artificial life by modeling autopoiesis and minimal cognition. It investigates how flocking behaviors (Boids) can contribute to self-producing systems, offering insights into general life principles.
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology and Artificial Life research.
- Theoretical Biology and Systems Science.
Background:
- Carbon-based life on Earth may bias universal life inferences.
- Autopoiesis (Varela et al., 1974) offers a system-level definition of minimal life.
- Life may be a co-emergent property of autopoiesis and cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how flocking behaviors (Boids) can contribute to autopoietic systems.
- To explore if such systems can exhibit minimal cognition.
- To construct a computational model of artificial life.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Craig Reynolds' "Boids" generative model for flocking mechanics.
- Developing a bottom-up computational approach to artificial life.
- Implementing a model of autopoiesis with active assimilation of external components.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a computational model of autopoiesis.
- Showcased a minimal level of cognition within the autopoietic system.
- Linked aggregate behaviors (Boids) to constitutive subsystems of self-production.
Conclusions:
- Synchronous maneuvers and aggregate behavior can contribute to autopoietic systems.
- Artificial autopoietic systems can exhibit minimal cognition.
- This work provides a framework for understanding general principles of life beyond Earth-based examples.
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