Identifying the reality gap between abstract and realistic models using evolved agents and simulated kilobots

Abstract

A common challenge in evolutionary swarm robotics is the transfer of simulated results into real-world applications. This difficulty can arise in a variety of real-world settings and problems such as sensory differences in robots and changes in the environment. We identify this reality gap at a simulation level by comparing the evolved behaviours of simulated Kilobots in two different models with different levels of abstraction. Our aim is to identify the reality gap that occurs at simulation level by in- creasing the task difficulty and noting differences in outcomes. Insights gained in this process may help rule out any further causes of reality gap when moving to experiments with physical robots.