Figure 14. Example of the behaviour of parameter "i
A detailed discussion related to the learning of the motivation degree in BeCA can be
found in (Gershenson and Gonzalez, 2000).
3.9. Properties of BeCA
“... and many are not amazed because they do not know about it”
—Jose Luis Mateos
One of the most notable properties of a behaviours production system like BeCA, is
that, although it is formed of elemental behaviours, each of which does not have a significance
in the survival of the creature it is controlling, the elemental behaviours interact in such a way
that from this very interaction emergent behaviours are produced. In a similar way, words in
a spoken language may have little meaning by themselves. But, since they have enormous
possibilities of combination, almost an infinity of meanings can be created with these words.
The articulation of different elemental behaviours in behavioural columns gives the possibility
to the BPS to produce a wide variety of behaviours and behaviour patterns, which are not
selected, but emergent.
BeCA is a context-free BPS. This means that it can be implemented in different
environments and problem domains. This is possible because BeCA is defined in a general way
and it is independent of the motor and perceptual systems. If BeCA is desired to be used as the
behaviour production system of an artificial or virtual creature, the developers need only to
connect the signals from the perceptual system and from the internal medium to BeCA, then
define behavioural columns by setting appropriate coupling strengths, and finally connect the
output to the motor system. The creature should present the properties of animal behaviour
described in this section. Refinements on the resulting system would lead to still more emergent
properties.
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