Dept.
of Computer Science
Using Genetic Algorithms to Teach a Robot to Fight
Introduction
Genetic algorithms is a concept from machine learn-
ing, and is used for searching a solution to a problem.
In this exhibit we show how we can use genetic algo-
rithms to create a robot that learns how to fight with-
out any direct programming given by us: The fighting
algorithm is created by a genetic algorithm.
What are genetic algorithms?
Everyone knows the famous researcher Charles Dar-
win and his principle survival of the fittest. Genetic al-
gorithms is the computer-science version of this prin-
ciple.
Genetic algorithms come from how chromosomes
evolves in any living creature in nature. One gener-
ation creates the next generation by taking features
from parents, and randomly mutating. For each gen-
eration, only the fittest will be considered as parents
for the next generation.
Parent 1
Parent 2
Child
Figure 1: Crossover – some gene-material from each
parent.
Before mutation
After mutation
Figure 2: Mutation – gene-material contains small ran-
dom changes.
By letting the genetic algorithm evolve over many
generations, we hope to find the best chromosomes.
In nature, genes are related to how we look and func-
tion, for example some genes decide our gender and
eye-color, while others have impact on how fast we
can run or for how long we can run. In computer
science, the genes likewise are a representation of the
Søren Atmakuri Davidsen
problem we want to solve.
Seriously, you make Robots
fight for real? (Is it safe?)
No and Yes :-) RoboCode is a game where you win
by programming a robot to shoot its opponents. But,
it is a good idea. We would like to test our Robots
using real hardware in a fight to death against pitiful
humans.
To program the Robot is easy, using the Java pro-
gramming language. The program contains informa-
tion about how the robot should behave in given situ-
ations.
Here we look at 3 such situations:
1. What to do when Robot is idle?
2. What to do when Robot see other Robot?
3. What to do when Robot is hit by bullet?
In each of the situations, we can give the robot a num-
ber of instructions on what to do, these are:
1. Turn Robot left or right.
2. Drive Robot forward or backward.
3. Look for other Robots.
4. Turn Robot’s cannon.
5. Fire Robot’s cannon.
Each of the instructions can take some values. For ex-
ample: In what direction should we turn the Robot?
Or, how big a bullet should we use when firing the
cannon? Each instruction takes energy and time from
the Robot. In order to make the game fair, each Robot
participating, has limited energy and time to carry out
its instructions. When a Robot is hit by a bullet, it will
loose some energy. When energy is 0, the Robot’s life
is over.
After each round, the fitness of the robot is calculated
by determining how many opponents it hit, and how
many hits it took itself.
Radar
Cannon
After many many rounds, our robot is starting to be-
(bearing)
come smarter. We have to remember that the robot
started from nothing, everything it knows, it has
learned by itself, using the genetic algorithm.
Wheels
(heading)
Figure 3: RoboCode tank concepts
How can robots learn to fight
using a genetic algorithm?
As seen, the Robot’s “program” is a series of instruc-
tions to carry out, in different situations. As time and
energy is limited, we fix the number of instructions the
Robot can carry out within it’s limits.
Evolving the Robot against an opponent
For each generation, there are 100 new little Robots
created from the parents. Cruelly, we immediately
send them to fight with an opponent. The Robots with Why is this all useful?
highest score are selected to become parents for the
next generation.
For each new generation of little Robots, the princi-
ple of the genetic algorithm is, that the Robots selected
will be better fighters, by breeding only on the best
parents. Fighting Robots are just one example of how genetic
algorithms are useful for solving a problem. Genetic
algorithms are useful because they can find solutions
Results to problems, which are otherwise not obvious by tra-
ditional optimization techniques used by engineers.
We have designed our robot so two parts of it will be
created by genetic algorithms: Genetic algorithms are used many places in the
real world, some few examples from ISRO (Indian
1. what to do when we are hit by a bullet.
Space Research Organisation): Scheduling satellite
2. what to do when we see an enemy. payloads, designing communication antennas and re-
A part from this, the robot is very simple, and will configurable hardware modules for long-term space
drive around randomly on the battlefield. missions (Mars the latest)