Abstract:
Ortus is a simple virtual organism that also serves as an initial
framework for investigating and developing biologically-based artificial
intelligence. Born from a goal to create complex virtual intelligence and
an initial attempt to model C. elegans, Ortus implements a number of
mechanisms observed in organic nervous systems, and attempts to fill in
unknowns based upon plausible biological implementations and psychological
observations. Implemented mechanisms include excitatory and inhibitory
chemical synapses, bidirectional gap junctions, and Hebbian learning with
its Stentian extension. We present an initial experiment that showcases
Ortus’ fundamental principles; specifically, a cyclic respiratory circuit,
and emotionally-driven associative learning with respect to an input
stimulus. Finally, we discuss the implications and future directions for
Ortus and similar systems.
