scholarly journals First-order agent-based models of emergent behaviour of Dictyostelium discoideum and their inspiration for swarm robotics

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-655
Author(s):  
Mohammad Parhizkar ◽  
Giovanna Di Marzo Serugendo ◽  
Jahn Nitschke ◽  
Louis Hellequin ◽  
Assane Wade ◽  
...  

Abstract Collective behaviour in nature provides a source of inspiration to engineer artificial collective adaptive systems, due to their mechanisms favouring adaptation to environmental changes and enabling complex emergent behaviour to arise from a relatively simple behaviour of individual entities. As part of our ongoing research, we study the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum to derive agent-based models and mechanisms that we can then exploit in artificial systems, in particular in swarm robotics. In this paper, we present a selection of agent-based models of the aggregation phase of D. discoideum, their corresponding biological illustrations and how we used them as an inspiration for transposing this behaviour into swarms of Kilobots. We focus on the stream-breaking phenomenon occurring during the aggregation phase of the life cycle of D. discoideum. Results show that the breakup of aggregation streams depends on cell density, motility, motive force and the concentration of cAMP and CF. The breakup also comes with the appearance of late centres. Our computational results show similar behaviour to our biological experiments, using Ax2(ka) strain. For swarm robotics experiments, we focus on signalling and aggregation towards a centre.

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 656-665
Author(s):  
Mohammad Parhizkar ◽  
Giovanna Di Marzo Serugendo ◽  
Jahn Nitschke ◽  
Louis Hellequin ◽  
Assane Wade ◽  
...  

Abstract By studying and modelling the behaviour of Dictyostelium discoideum, we aim at deriving mechanisms useful for engineering collective artificial intelligence systems. This paper discusses a selection of agent-based models reproducing second-order behaviour of Dictyostelium discoideum, occurring during the migration phase; their corresponding biological illustrations; and how we used them as an inspiration for transposing this behaviour into swarms of Kilobots. For the models, we focus on: (1) the transition phase from first- to second-order emergent behaviour; (2) slugs’ uniform distribution around a light source; and (3) the relationship between slugs’ speed and length occurring during the migration phase of the life cycle of D. discoideum. Results show the impact of the length of the slug on its speed and the effect of ammonia on the distribution of slugs. Our computational results show similar behaviour to our biological experiments, using Ax2(ka) strain. For swarm robotics experiments, we focus on the transition phase, slugs’ chaining, merging and moving away from each other.


Author(s):  
Professor Michael E. Wolf-Branigin ◽  
Dr William G. Kennedy ◽  
Dr Emily S. Ihara ◽  
Dr Catherine J. Tompkins

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine Adiba ◽  
Mathieu Forget ◽  
Silvia De Monte

The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum commonly forms chimeric fruiting bodies by aggregation of different strains. Genetic variants that produce a higher proportion of spores are predicted to undercut multicellular organization unless cooperators assort positively. Cell adhesion is considered a primary factor driving such assortment, but evolution of adhesion has not been experimentally connected to changes in social performance. In this study we modified by experimental evolution the properties of individual cells, selecting for higher and lower adhesion to substrate. We then quantified the effects of these changes on cell-cell adhesion, development, and social behaviour. Unlike strains selected based on relative reproductive success in the social stage, we found that in binary chimeras both derived strains produce a smaller fraction of spores than the ancestor. Thus, evolution appears to have produced social cooperators. Examination of development revealed that this is however achieved via two opposed paths. Cells selected to be more adhesive to the substrate disproportionately contribute to the structural stability of fruiting bodies, as one would expect for cooperators. On the contrary, less adhesive cells behave as cheaters that undermine their own success more than that of the ancestor. These differences are reflected by a metric for social success that generalizes the classically used variation in frequency during the multicellular phase. Our work shows that cell mechanical interactions can constrain evolution of development and assortment in chimeras, and calls for integrating cell-level processes in conceptualizing the emergence of multicellular organization.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Gaus

This essay examines two different modes of reasoning about justice: an individual mode in which each individual judges what we all ought to do and a social mode in which we seek to reconcile our judgments of justice so that we can share common rules of justice. Social contract theory has traditionally emphasized the second, reconciliation mode, devising a central plan (the contract) to do so. However, I argue that because we disagree not only in our judgments of justice but also about the degree of reconciliation justice calls for, the social contract presupposes a single, controversial, answer to the proper degree of reconciliation. In place of the social contract’s ‘top-down’ approach, this article explores the idea of self-organizing moral systems, in which each individual, acting on her own views of justice (including the importance of reconciliation), responds to the decisions of others, forming systems of shared justice. Several basic agent-based models are explored to begin to understand the dynamics under which individuals with diverse views of justice may come to share common rules. It is found that, surprisingly, by increasing the diversity in a system, we can sometimes increase the possibility of agreement.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 337-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
PIETER W. G. BOTS ◽  
OLIVIER BARRETEAU ◽  
GERALDINE ABRAMI

In this paper we present a first attempt to represent the social behavior of actors in a resource sharing context in such a way that different forms of solidarity can be detected and measured. We expect that constructing agent-based models of water-related interactions at the interface of urban and rural areas, and running social simulations to study the occurrence and consequences of solidary behavior, will produce insights that may eventually contribute to water and land resource management practice. We propose a typology for solidary behavior, present the agent-based architecture that we are using, show some illustrative results, and formulate some questions that will guide our future work.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 261-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAMUEL THIRIOT ◽  
JEAN-DANIEL KANT

A lot of agent-based models were built to study diffusion of innovations. In most of these models, beliefs of individuals about the innovation were not represented at all, or in a highly simplified way. In this paper, we argue that representing beliefs could help to tackle problematics identified for diffusion of innovations, like misunderstanding of information, which can lead to diffusion failure, or diffusion of linked inventions. We propose a formalization of beliefs and messages as associative networks. This representation allows one to study the social representations of innovations and to validate diffusion models against real data. It could also make models usable to analyze diffusion prior to the product launch. Our approach is illustrated by a simulation of iPod™ diffusion.


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amnah Siddiqa ◽  
Muaz Niazi

HIV/AIDS spread depends upon complex patterns of interaction among various subsets emerging at population level. This added complexity makes it difficult to study and model AIDS and its dynamics. AIDS is therefore a natural candidate to be modeled using agent-based modeling, a paradigm well-known for modeling Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). While agent-based models are well-known to effectively model CAS, often times models can tend to be ambiguous and using only using text-based specifications (such as ODD) making models difficult to be replicated. Previous work has shown how formal specification may be used in conjunction with agent-based modeling to develop models of various CAS. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such model has been developed in conjunction with AIDS. In this paper, we present a Formal Agent-Based Simulation modeling framework (FABS-AIDS) for an AIDS-based CAS. FABS-AIDS employs the use of a formal specification model in conjunction with an agent-based model to reduce ambiguity as well as improve clarity in the model definition. The proposed model demonstrates the effectiveness of using formal specification in conjunction with agent-based simulation for developing models of CAS in general and, social network-based agent-based models, in particular.


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