Kerosine chronicle. Fungus

Each of the four robots is equipped with kerosine tank containing kerosine fungus. The tank’s data (PH-meters, gas analysis, kerosene level) affects robot’s choice of strategy and mode of communication it selects for interacting with others in the group. The modes are: 1. kerosine preservation (escape), active search for fresh kerosine (hunt), 2. exploration (promenade), 3. kerosine excess (altruism), 4. passive wait for changes.

Fungi-machines use smell to find each other, from time to time they begin to move chaotically or swirl in place to find direction with the highest concentration of kerosine fumes. In the occasion of two robots with matching strategies meeting (e.g. one is prepared to give out of altruism, or submit, another – to take kerosine), one robot can joint with another to take its kerosine. If the jointing was successful, the fuel burner inside one of the robots might light up to charge the heat generator on top of the fungus-machine. Possibility of strategy alignment or disalignment complicates communication in the group, makes it unpredictable, thus allowing to view fungus-machines’ action on the field as a sort of social interaction.

We see the necessity in developing communication between bio- and cyber-organisms: olfaction remains our last sensory system which still holds some advantage over artificial sensory systems. If our cognitive abilities would prove to be insufficient for the proper communication with the machine – our sense of smell might turn out to be our evolutionary chance. But at the moment it might work as one of the ways to establish horizontal relationships between living and non-living.