Part of: Corucci et al., "Evolving Soft Locomotion in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments: Effects of Material Properties and Environmental Transitions", Soft Robotics 2018 (in press)
Slow motion: a soft robot evolved in a virtual terrestrial environment through artificial evolution. Both morphology and actuation pattern are emergent and optimized by the algorithm.
This particular individual resulted to be the fastest terrestrial runner of all of our simulations, and it was achieved in a run in which robots first evolved aquatic locomotion in water, and where then moved onto land for further evolution. At the top of the body, traces of ancestral tentacles used to swim in water are observable, which are now used to balance. This is an example of "exaptation", adaptation of previously discovered traits to a new purpose.
