Skip main navigation

Predator Prey

Professor William Harwin uses a simulation to show a Braitenberg vehicle mimicking predator prey behaviour. Watch this video to find out more.

In this video William demonstrates his second simulation, to show how you can assign lights to Braitenberg vehicles, to make them act as predator and prey.

The Braitenberg vehicles are hard wired to either move around searching for or avoiding lights. In real life, animals or insects move around looking for food or avoiding predators that want to eat it.

A predator is an animal that feeds on another.

A prey is an animal that is eaten by another – though itself will need food (which may be plants that don’t move).

A classic predator-prey example is foxes and rabbits.

As William demonstrates in this video, Braitenberg vehicles can be programmed to mimic Predator-Prey behaviour as follows:

  • First we ensure sensors can detect different colour light.
  • Prey food is coloured one way
  • Predators are coloured differently
    • Prey seeks food colour and avoids predator colour
  • Prey themselves are given a different colour light
    • Predators seek the light of the prey
This article is from the free online

Begin Robotics

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now