Phil Husbands
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Texture and Friction Classification: Optical TacTip vs. Vibrational Piezoeletric and Accelerometer Tactile Sensors Open
Tactile sensing is increasingly vital in robotics, especially for tasks like object manipulation and texture classification. Among tactile technologies, optical and electrical sensors are widely used, yet no rigorous direct comparison of t…
Proto-Cognitive Bases of Agency Open
We present the idea that causal relations between system and environment can be explored through the lens of proto-cognitive properties. Basically, I propose that the notions of under-determination and self-determination can be attributed …
Proto-Cognitive Bases of Agency Open
Autonomous systems are permanently in an ongoing interaction with the environment that surrounds them. Agency, in this sense, is often conceived as a system-environment asymmetry, where the system is able to influence the environment more …
Two New Bio-Inspired Particle Swarm Optimisation Algorithms for Single-Objective Continuous Variable Problems Based on Eavesdropping and Altruistic Animal Behaviours Open
This paper presents two novel bio-inspired particle swarm optimisation (PSO) variants, namely biased eavesdropping PSO (BEPSO) and altruistic heterogeneous PSO (AHPSO). These algorithms are inspired by types of group behaviour found in nat…
Two New Bio-inspired Particle Swarm Optimisation Algorithmsfor Single-Objective Continuous Variable Problems Based onEavesdropping and Altruistic Animal Behaviours Open
This paper presents two novel bio-inspired particle swarm optimisation (PSO) variants: biased eavesdropping PSO (BEPSO) and altruistic heterogeneous PSO (AHPSO). These algorithms are inspired by types of group behaviour found in nature tha…
Slip Detection and Surface Prediction Through Bio-Inspired Tactile Feedback Open
High resolution tactile sensing has great potential in autonomous mobile robotics, particularly for legged robots. One particular area where it has significant promise is the traversal of challenging, varied terrain. Depending on whether a…
The role of rebound spikes in the maintenance of self-sustained neural spiking activity Open
In general, the mechanisms that maintain the activity of neural systems after a triggering stimulus has been removed are not well understood. Different mechanisms involving at the cellular and network levels have been proposed. In this wor…
HIDMS-PSO with Bio-inspired Fission-Fusion Behaviour and a Quorum Decision Mechanism Open
In this study, we propose a new variant of the HIDMS-PSO algorithm with a bio-inspired fission-fusion behaviour and a quorum decision mechanism (FFQ-HIDMS-PSO). In the new algorithm, units are conceptualised as self-organising fission-fusi…
Genetic Algorithm Assisted HIDMS-PSO: A New Hybrid Algorithm for Global Optimisation Open
In this paper, a new hybrid algorithm, GA-HIDMS-PSO, is introduced by hybridising the state-of-the-art particle swarm optimisation (PSO) variant, the heterogeneous improved dynamic multi-swarm PSO (HIDMS-PSO) with a genetic algorithm (GA).…
Evolved Transistor Array Robot Controllers Open
For the first time, a field programmable transistor array (FPTA) was used to evolve robot control circuits directly in analog hardware. Controllers were successfully incrementally evolved for a physical robot engaged in a series of visuall…
Encoding Temporal Regularities and Information Copying in Hippocampal Circuits Open
Discriminating, extracting and encoding temporal regularities is a critical requirement in the brain, relevant to sensory-motor processing and learning. However, the cellular mechanisms responsible remain enigmatic; for example, whether su…
Embodied neuromechanical chaos through homeostatic regulation Open
In this paper, we present detailed analyses of the dynamics of a number of embodied neuromechanical systems of a class that has been shown to efficiently exploit chaos in the development and learning of motor behaviors for bodies of arbitr…
Automatic Synthesis of Totally Self-Checking Circuits Open
Totally self-checking (TSC) circuits are synthesised with a grid of computers running a distributed population based stochastic optimisation algorithm. The presented method is the first to automatically synthesise TSC circuits from arbitra…
Unsupervised Learning in an Ensemble of Spiking Neural Networks Mediated by ITDP Open
We propose a biologically plausible architecture for unsupervised ensemble learning in a population of spiking neural network classifiers. A mixture of experts type organisation is shown to be effective, with the individual classifier outp…
Darwinian Dynamics of Embodied Chaotic Exploration Open
We present Embodied Chaotic Exploration (ECE), a novel direction of research into a possible candidate for Darwinian neural dynamics, where such dynamics are occurring not at the level of synaptic connections, but rather at the slightly hi…
The evolution of handedness: why are ant colonies left- and right-handed? Open
Until recently, handedness, a preference for using a particular forelimb, was assumed to be unique to humans. However, the discovery of forelimb preferences in other mammals and a number of invertebrate species has falsified this assumptio…
Evolutionary Robotics Open
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