Phil Husbands

Phil Husbands is professor of Computer science and Artificial intelligence at the University of Sussex in Brighton near the East Sussex village of Falmer, near Brighton and Hove. He is head of the Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems group and co-director of the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics (CCNR). He is one of the founders of the field of Evolutionary robotics.^{[citation needed]} His research interests are in long-term investigations of artificial evolution of nervous systems for robots, with emphasis on:

• Visually guided robots acting in the real world
• Theoretical and practical development of advanced evolutionary algorithms for hard engineering and design optimisation problems
• Development of biologically inspired artificial neural networks incorporating diffusible modulators
• Computational neuroscience
• Computer manipulation of sound and image
• History and philosophy of AI
• machine learning.

He is editor of several books including The Mechanical Mind in History, MIT Press (2008) as well as author of numerous scientific articles. With neuroscientist Michael O'Shea he introduced the idea of GasNets - artificial neural networks that use diffusing virtual gases as modulators. These are inspired by Nitric Oxide (NO) volume signalling in real brains. The Sussex team have also done pioneering work on detailed computationl modelling of NO diffusion in the nervous system.

External links

• Phil Husbands
• Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics (CCNR)
• New Scientist article on pioneering evolutionary robotics research by Husbands, Harvey and Cliff
• New Scientist article on Husbands' and O'Shea's introduction of the idea of GasNets
• Books by Phil Husbands in Google Book Search