LEADER 00000cam  22000008a 4500 
001    ocn744287777 
003    OCoLC 
005    20120403175251.0 
008    120127s2012    nyua     b    001 0 eng   
010      2011051804 
020    9780465021413|qhardback|c$26.99 
020    0465021417|qhardback 
035    (OCoLC)744287777 
035    (OCoLC)744287777 
040    DLC|beng|cDLC|dBTCTA|dBDX|dWHP 
042    pcc 
049    WHPP 
050 00 TJ211.37|b.L66 2012 
082 00 629.8/92|223 
084    SCI000000|2bisacsh 
100 1  Long, John,|d1964 January 12- 
245 10 Darwin's devices :|bwhat evolving robots can teach us 
       about the history of life and the future of technology /
       |cJohn Long. 
264  1 New York :|bBasic Books,|c2012. 
300    273 pages :|billustrations ;|c25 cm 
336    text|btxt|2rdacontent 
337    unmediated|bn|2rdamedia 
338    volume|bnc|2rdacarrier 
504    Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-260) and 
       index. 
505 0  Why robots? -- The game of life -- Engineering evolvabots 
       -- Tadros play the game of life -- The life of the 
       embodied mind -- Predator, prey, and vertebrae -- 
       Evolutionary trekkers -- So long, and thanks for all the 
       robotic fish. 
520    "What happens when we let robots play the game of life? 
       The challenge of studying evolution is that the history of
       life is buried in the past--we can't witness the dramatic 
       events that shaped the adaptations we see today. But 
       biorobotics expert John Long has found an ingenious way to
       overcome this problem: he creates robots that look and 
       behave like extinct animals, subjects them to evolutionary
       pressures, lets them compete for mates and resources, and 
       mutates their 'genes'. In short, he lets robots play the 
       game of life. In Darwin's Devices, Long tells the story of
       these evolving biorobots--how they came to be, and what 
       they can teach us about the biology of living and extinct 
       species. Evolving biorobots can replicate creatures that 
       disappeared from the Earth long ago, showing us in real 
       time what happens in the face of unexpected environmental 
       challenges. Biomechanically correct models of backbones 
       functioning as part of an autonomous robot, for example, 
       can help us understand why the first vertebrates evolved 
       them. But the most impressive feature of these robots, as 
       Long shows, is their ability to illustrate the power of 
       evolution to solve difficult technological challenges 
       autonomously--without human input regarding what a 
       workable solution might be. Even a simple robot can create
       complex behavior, often learning or evolving greater 
       intelligence than humans could possibly program. This 
       remarkable idea could forever alter the face of 
       engineering, design, and even warfare. An amazing tour 
       through the workings of a fertile mind, Darwin's Devices 
       will make you rethink everything you thought you knew 
       about evolution, robot intelligence, and life itself"--
       |cProvided by publisher. 
650  0 Evolutionary robotics. 
650  0 Evolution (Biology)|xSimulation methods. 
650  0 Technological forecasting. 
994    02|bWHP