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Natural and Artificial Systems: Compare, Model or Engineer?

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Book cover From Animals to Animats 12 (SAB 2012)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 7426))

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Abstract

Some areas of biological research use artificial means to explore the natural world. But how the natural and artificial are related across wide-ranging research areas is not always clear. Relations differ further for bioengineering fields. We propose a taxonomy which would serve to elucidate distinct relations; there are three ways in which the natural is linked to the artificial, corresponding with distinct methods of investigation: i) a comparative approach (natural vs artificial) in which artificial systems are treated in the same way as natural systems, ii) a modeling approach (natural via artificial) in which we use artificial systems to learn about features of natural ones, and iii) an engineering approach (natural pro artificial) in which natural systems are used to draw inspiration for artefacts. Ambiguities about and between these approaches limit the development of fields and impact negatively on interdisciplinary communication.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. London, UK

    Kelly Vassie

  2. Computer Science Department, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Giuseppe Morlino

  3. Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR, Rome, Italy

    Giuseppe Morlino

Authors
  1. Kelly Vassie
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  2. Giuseppe Morlino
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Informatics Research Centre, University of Skövde, Kanikegränd 3A, 54134, Skövde, Sweden

    Tom Ziemke

  2. Lund University, Lundagård, Kungshuset, 22222, Lund, Sweden

    Christian Balkenius

  3. Mærsk McKinney Møller Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense, Denmark

    John Hallam

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Vassie, K., Morlino, G. (2012). Natural and Artificial Systems: Compare, Model or Engineer?. In: Ziemke, T., Balkenius, C., Hallam, J. (eds) From Animals to Animats 12. SAB 2012. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 7426. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33093-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33093-3_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33092-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33093-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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