By NADIA HILL / nadiah@laramieboomerang.com Thursday, May 01, 2014

Computer-simulated blocks gallop across a screen.

Multi-colored, they started as blobs that barely wiggled, but over time and through multiple generations, each one took shape into something similar to a horse or giraffe.

To me, they look alive, not robotic, said Jeff Clune, University of Wyoming computer science assistant professor. Theyre quirky but still functional. They have that je ne sais quoi of nature, with no human input.

Clune started up UWs evolving artificial intelligence lab in January 2013 and since then, four students have published research in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Several of his students have won national awards from Associated for Computing Machinery to NASA space grants.

He currently has five Ph.D. students, two masters students, two undergraduate students and one Laramie High School student.

Clune and his 10 students spend their days using evolution to create smarter robots.

Artificial intelligence in robots is a software limitation, and most robots cant walk across a floor without tripping, Clune said.

When I read news like firefighters dying, I think we should be sending in robots to do that, Clune said. Were trying to harness the power of evolution. Its an extremely creative and powerful design force. Can we use that process to evolve robots? We can harness it, and when we do, evolution comes up with something smarter than humans can design.

The basic concept is Darwinian evolution and survival of the fittest, he said.

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Survival of the fittest: Evolution used to advance artificial intelligence