Applying Evolutionary Computation to Mitigate Uncertainty in Adaptive Middleware Philip K. McKinley, Betty H.C. Cheng, Andres J. Ramirez, Adam C. Jensen BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action Software Engineering and Network Systems Laboratory Department of Computer Science and Engineering Michigan State University Pervasive Computing • Computing systems are increasingly interacting with the physical world • Requirements: • Adapt to changing network • Conserve energy • Compensate for failures • Optimize performance • Typically requires interactions and cooperation among nodes http://neptune.washington.edu Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research Autonomic Systems • Self-managed and long-running systems • Require only limited human guidance • Also needed to manage critical infrastructure • communication networks, • transportation systems, • water and power systems • Middleware has been shown to be an excellent place to implement adaptive functionality. Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research Nature, the Ultimate Model No computational system rivals life on Earth in complexity and adaptability Natural systems are: Self-managing Self-healing Self-protecting Self-optimizing Cooperation is ubiquitous! Nature, the Ultimate Model No computational system rivals life on Earth in complexity and adaptability Natural systems are: Self-managing Self-healing Self-protecting Self-optimizing Cooperation is ubiquitous! Goal: Build systems that JUST WORK! Harnessing Evolution !! Biomimetics, or mimicking nature, has been very effective in many engineering domains." !! However, biomimetics alone does not account for the process of evolution." !! Can we evolve computer systems that combine natural behaviors and modern technology?" Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research Harnessing Evolution !! Biomimetics, or mimicking nature, has been very effective in many engineering domains." !! However, biomimetics alone does not account for the process of evolution." !! Can we evolve computer systems that combine natural behaviors and modern They’re not fish! technology?" Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research Evolution in a Computer • Codify the basic principles of genetic evolution in computer software, e.g., - Genetic Algorithms - Neuroevolution - Digital Evolution • Great success in many areas of engineering, but not widely explored in the context of distributed systems... Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research Evolution Park • Evolu'onary robo'cs habitat for swimming, crawling, flying creatures • Facilitates biomutualism among engineering, computer science and biology • de (www.cse.msu.edu/evopark) Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research Multi-material 3D Printing Export to PDF Export to PDF The engineering researchers will design robotic fish in the computer, then print them out using the !-D printer. PHOTO BY HARLEY J. SEELEY J. HARLEY BY PHOTO Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research locomotion and other behaviors turn, this knowledge will feed back swimming robots, the system will of a natural organism, using the into the development of robots that also be used to produce crawling stickleback fish as a model. can adapt to adverse and dynamic and flying robots. Since the printer is Boughman explains why the conditions.” capable of printing multiple materials stickleback, a small fish that averages The engineering researchers will at the same time, the researchers ! cm in size, is the perfect vertebrate design robotic fish in the computer will be able to produce complex system for studying evolution in using evolutionary computation and structures, such as fins and wings action. “There is a wealth of informa- physics-based simulators, as well as that comprise rigid struts and more tion on their evolution, behavior, SolidWorks "D CAD so# ware. “Using pliable inner membranes. “However, and ecology, as well as good genetic evolutionary algorithms, we will for some studies, the robots do not tools, so they are a model system evolve the controllers for these robots, necessarily need to mimic any living for understanding the evolution of as well as the bodies of the robots creature,” says McKinley. “Rather, many traits, including social behavior, themselves, in a computer. Evolution the evolutionary process might morphology, and speciation. They will enable us to find the best com- discover entirely new structures and are also amendable to lab and field binations of materials, shapes, and behaviors that match the properties experiments. But probably the most behaviors,” McKinley says. He notes of the materials and mechanisms for important reason is that they adapt that they will be able to evaluate locomotion.” very, very rapidly to novel evolution- thousands of generations in a day. Typically, a "-D printer like the ary pressures, giving us a window on “When we have a design that one in MSU’s evolutionary robotics the process of evolution.” seems like it’s performing pretty well lab would be used to create a model, “The goal of the new project,” in the simulated world, we will print from which a mold would be made. says McKinley, “is to produce very it out for testing in our real tanks.” The final product would then be small swimming robots, similar to The "-D printer uses materials manufactured out of metal or some sticklebacks in size and appearance, that range from extremely hard other material. “But for us, what we which will intermingle with live fish plastic to extremely flexible plastic— print out—these robots—these are in order to help understand various and everything else in between. the end products,” McKinley says. behaviors and how they evolved. In While their initial focus is on “Having our own "-D printer 14 $%&&'()* +,-,./(' 0122–0120 . 333.'-&.+*%.'4% Multi-material 3D Printing Export to PDF Export to PDF The engineering researchers will design robotic fish in the computer, then print them out using the !-D printer. PHOTO BY HARLEY J. SEELEY J. HARLEY BY PHOTO Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research locomotion and other behaviors turn, this knowledge will feed back swimming robots, the system will of a natural organism, using the into the development of robots that also be used to produce crawling stickleback fish as a model. can adapt to adverse and dynamic and flying robots. Since the printer is Boughman explains why the conditions.” capable of printing multiple materials stickleback, a small fish that averages The engineering researchers will at the same time, the researchers ! cm in size, is the perfect vertebrate design robotic fish in the computer will be able to produce complex system for studying evolution in using evolutionary computation and structures, such as fins and wings action. “There is a wealth of informa- physics-based simulators, as well as that comprise rigid struts and more tion on their evolution, behavior, SolidWorks "D CAD so# ware. “Using pliable inner membranes. “However, and ecology, as well as good genetic evolutionary algorithms, we will for some studies, the robots do not tools, so they are a model system evolve the controllers for these robots, necessarily need to mimic any living for understanding the evolution of as well as the bodies of the robots creature,” says McKinley. “Rather, many traits, including social behavior, themselves, in a computer. Evolution the evolutionary process might morphology, and speciation. They will enable us to find the best com- discover entirely new structures and are also amendable to lab and field binations of materials, shapes, and behaviors that match the properties experiments. But probably the most behaviors,” McKinley says. He notes of the materials and mechanisms for important reason is that they adapt that they will be able to evaluate locomotion.” very, very rapidly to novel evolution- thousands of generations in a day. Typically, a "-D printer like the ary pressures, giving us a window on “When we have a design that one in MSU’s evolutionary robotics the process of evolution.” seems like it’s performing pretty well lab would be used to create a model, “The goal of the new project,” in the simulated world, we will print from which a mold would be made. says McKinley, “is to produce very it out for testing in our real tanks.” The final product would then be small swimming robots, similar to The "-D printer uses materials manufactured out of metal or some sticklebacks in size and appearance, that range from extremely hard other material. “But for us, what we which will intermingle with live fish plastic to extremely flexible plastic— print out—these robots—these are in order to help understand various and everything else in between. the end products,” McKinley says. behaviors and how they evolved. In While their initial focus is on “Having our own "-D printer 14 $%&&'()* +,-,./(' 0122–0120 . 333.'-&.+*%.'4% Multi-material 3D Printing Export to PDF Export to PDF The engineering researchers will design robotic fish in the computer, then print them out using the !-D printer. PHOTO BY HARLEY J. SEELEY J. HARLEY BY PHOTO Digital Preliminary Ongoing Motivations Summary Evolution Studies Research locomotion and other behaviors turn, this knowledge will feed back swimming robots, the system will of a natural organism, using the into the development of robots that also be used to produce crawling