Adaptive Behavioural Modulation and Hysteresis in an Analogue of a Kite Control Task

We define a simplified analogue of a kite control task that requires, in its simplest form, a situated artificial agent to switch between two mutually exclusive behaviours. In more complex versions of the task, the agent is required to adapt to changes within its environment that occur on different temporal scales. We describe the failure to evolve successful agents when a decision threshold is defined artificially and conversely the evolution of successful agents when they themselves are allowed to determine their own threshold through interaction with the environment. Agents are demonstrated capable of adapting both their switching behaviour and spatial domain according to environmental changes on three temporal scales, on the fastest of which, the agents behave in an opportunistic manner.