beer@cthulhu.ces.cwru.edu (10/19/90)
Intelligence as Adaptive Behavior: An Experiment in Computational Neuroethology Perspectives in AI, Volume 6 by Randall D. Beer Hardback, 240 pp., 60 Figures, Bibliography, Index $29.95 ISBN 0-12-084730-2 Order from Academic Press 1-800-321-5068 Drawing upon recent critiques of AI, this book argues that the universal ability of animals to flexibly interact with their environments is more fundamental to intelligent behavior than such uniquely human skills as language and conscious deliberation. This book also presents a new approach to the design of autonomous agents, called computational neuroethology, which is concerned with simulating the neuronal control of behavior in simpler animals. The development of a nervous system for controlling the behavior of an artificial insect is described in detail. This nervous system utilizes heterogeneous architectures containing individual neurons with complex intrinsic dynamics. Portions of its design are based upon specific neuronal circuits drawn from several natural animals. The neuronal implementation of reflexes, fixed-action and rhythmic patterns, motivational states, goal-oriented behavior, and decision-making are considered. The behaviors implemented in the artificial insect include locomotion, wandering, recoil, edge-following, and feeding. It is also capable of properly managing the interactions between its various behaviors as it confronts its simulated environment. This artifical insect demonstrates that biological design princples can be applied to the construction of autonomous agents which flexibly engage in complex interactions with their environment without manipulating explicit internal representations. For further information contact Randall D. Beer (beer@alpha.ces.cwru.edu)