Emergent Specialization in Biologically Inspired Collective Behavior Systems

Abstract

Specialization is observable in many complex adaptive systems and is thought by many to be a fundamental mechanism for achieving optimal efficiency within organizations operating within complex adaptive systems. This chapter presents a survey and critique of collective behavior systems designed using biologically inspired principles, where specialization that emerges as a result of system dynamics and is used problem solver or means to increase task performance. The chapter presents an argument for developing design methodologies and principles that facilitate emergent specialization in collective behavior systems. Open problems of current research and future research directions are highlighted for the purpose of encouraging the development of such emergent specialization design methodologies. 2 Emergent Specialization in Biologically Inspired Collective Behavior Systems AbstractSpecialization is observable in many complex adaptive systems and is thought by many to be a fundamental mechanism for achieving optimal efficiency within organizations operating within complex adaptive systems. This chapter presents a survey and critique of collective behavior systems designed using biologically inspired principles, where specialization that emerges as a result of system dynamics and is used problem solver or means to increase task performance. The chapter presents an argument for developing design methodologies and principles that facilitate emergent specialization in collective behavior systems. Open problems of current research and future research directions are highlighted for the purpose of encouraging the development of such emergent specialization design methodologies.

Collective neuro-evolution for evolving specialized sensor resolutions in a multi-rover task

“…In addition to approaches delineated in the following, see Nitschke et al [34] for a comprehensive review of various methods for evolving specialization for the benefit of solving collective behavior tasks.…”

“…CONE solves collective behavior tasks via purposefully facilitating emergent behavioral specialization [34]. The potential advantage of CONE is that it increases collective behavior task performance or attains collective behavior solutions that could not otherwise be attained without specialization.…”

“…In fields of research such as multi-robot systems [47], it is highly desirable to reproduce the underlying mechanisms that result in replicating the success of biological collective behavior systems. One such underlying mechanism is emergent behavioral specialization [34]. Emergent specialization is that which emerges from the interaction of system components in response to a dynamic task that requires varying degrees, or types of specialization, in order to effectively accomplish.…”

“…Such approaches are popular in collective behavior task domains where one does not know, a priori, the degree of specialization required to optimally solve the given task [30]. Behavioral specialization refers to agent behaviors that are advantageous for accomplishing specific types of tasks [34].…”

Costs and benefits of behavioral specialization

“…In division of labor, "(a) each worker specializes on a subset of the complete repertoire of tasks performed by the colony, and (b) this subset varies across individual workers in the colony" [1]. A common way to obtain division of labor is to let individuals adapt their behavior to focus on a subset of the tasks available-this is called behavioral specialization [13]. Behavioral specialization is known to increase the overall performance of an individual because of many different reasons.…”