Publications

Journal articles 27
Conference proceedings 25
Other 2
Popular articles & reviews 4

Journal articles

In press

Measuring the dynamics of attentional capture in hand and eye movements with virtual reality.accepted
Gurr, M. D., Moher, J., Egbert, M. D., & Erb, C. D.
Behavior Research Methods

2026

How Might Perfect Knowledge of Sensorimotor Contingencies Be Used? — Hill Climbing in Sensorimotor Space
Egbert M., Woolford F., Postlethwaite C.
IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 1-11

2025

Physics of Life: Exploring Information as a Distinctive Feature of Living Systems
Bartlett S., Eckford A., Egbert M. D., Lingam M., Kolchinsky A., Frank A., Ghoshal G.
PRX Life, 3(3), 037003

2024

A Continuous Time Dynamical Turing Machine
Postlethwaite C. M., Ashwin P., Egbert M. D.
IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems

2023

Behaviour and the Origin of Organisms
Egbert M. D., Hanczyc, M. M., Harvey, I., Virgo, N., Parke, E., Froese, T., Sayama, H., Penn, A., Bartlett, S.
Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biospheres

2022

Using enactive robotics to think outside of the problem-solving box: How sensorimotor contingencies constrain the forms of emergent autononomous habits
Egbert M. D., Barandiaran X. E.
Frontiers in Neurorobotics 16:847054. doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.847054
Embodiment Enables Non-Predictive Ways of Coping with Self-Caused Sensory Stimuli
Garner J., Egbert M. D.
Frontiers in Computer Science 4:896465. doi: 10.3389/fcomp.2022.896465
Goal-oriented behaviour with a habit-based Adaptive Sensorimotor Map Network
Woolford F. M., Egbert M. D.
Frontiers in Neurorobotics 16:846693 doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.846693

2021

Self-preserving Mechanisms in Motile Oil Droplets: A computational model of abiological self-preservation
Egbert M. D.
Royal Society Open Science. 8:210534.

2020

Where computation and dynamics meet: Heteroclinic Network-based controllers in Evolutionary Robotics
Egbert M. D., Jeong V., Postlethwaite C. M.
in IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems 31(4) pp. 1084-1097, April 2020, doi: 10.1109/TNNLS.2019.2917471

2019

From chemical soup to computing circuit: Transforming a contiguous chemical medium into a logic gate network by modulating its external conditions
Egbert, M. D., Gagnon J-S., Pérez-Mercader J.
Journal of The Royal Society Interface 16(158). http://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2019.0190arXiv
Can Signal Delay Be Functional? Including Delay In Evolved Robot Controllers
Egbert M. D., Keane, A., Postlethwaite C. M., Wong, N.
Artificial Life 25(4) 315-333.
Combining Evolution and Self-organization to Find Natural Boolean Representations in Unconventional Computational Media
Egbert M. D., Gruenert, G., Ibrahim B., Dittrich, P.
Biosystems, 184, 104011.
Behavioral Variety of a Node-Based Sensorimotor-to-Motor Map
Woolford F. M., Egbert M. D.
Adaptive Behavior https://doi.org/10.1177/1059712319839061
Nanotube-mediated cross-feeding couples the metabolism of interacting bacterial cells
Shitut S., Ahsendorf T., Pande S., Egbert M., Kost, C.
Environmental Microbiology doi:10.1111/1462-2920.14539

2018

Dynamic modulation of external conditions can transform chemistry into logic gates
Egbert M. D., Gagnon J-S., Pérez-Mercader J.
Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 15(144), 20180169
Methods for Measuring Viability and Evaluating Viability-Indicators
Egbert M. D., Pérez-Mercader J.
Artificial Life, 24(02), 106–118
The Biological Foundations of Enactivism: A report on a workshop held at Artificial Life XV
Agmon, E., Egbert, M. D., & Virgo, N.
Artificial Life, 24(1), 49–55

2016

Adapting to Adaptations: Behavioural Strategies that are Robust to Mutations and Other Organisational-Transformations
Egbert M. D., Pérez-Mercader J
Scientific Reports, 6, 18963

2014

Modeling habits as self-sustaining patterns of sensorimotor behavior
Egbert M. D., Barandiaran X. E.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8(590

2013

Norm-establishing and norm-following in autonomous agency
Barandiaran X. E., Egbert M. D.
Artificial Life. 20(1):5-28
Bacterial Chemotaxis: Introverted or Extroverted? A Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Basic Forms of Metabolism-Based and Metabolism-Independent Behavior Using a Computational Model
Egbert M.
PLoS ONE. 8(5):e63617
Spatial rule-based modeling: a method and its application to the human mitotic kinetochore
Ibrahim B., Henze R., Gruenert G., Egbert M. D., Huwald J., Dittrich P.
Cells, 2(3): 506-544.
For Biological Systems, Maintaining Essential Variables Within Viability Limits is Not Passive – Open peer commentary on the target article "Homeostats for the 21st Century? Simulating Ashby Simulating the Brain" by Stefano Franchi
Egbert M. D.
Constructivist Foundations, 9(1):109-111

2012

Behavioral Metabolution: The Adaptive and Evolutionary Potential of Metabolism-Based Chemotaxis
Egbert M. D., Barandiaran X. E., Di Paolo E. A.
Artificial Life, 18(1):1-25

2010

A Minimal Model of Metabolism-Based Chemotaxis
Egbert M. D., Barandiaran X. E., Di Paolo E. A.
PLoS Computational Biology. 6(12):e1001004

2009

Integrating Autopoiesis and Behavior: An Exploration in Computational Chemo-ethology
Egbert M. D., Di Paolo E. A.
Adaptive Behavior, 17(5):387-401

Conference proceedings

2026

Adaptive Breathing: Mechanisms and Adaptations
Waddington T., Egbert M. D.
In ALIFE 2026: Proceedings of the 2026 Artificial Life Conference (Vol. 38, p. 39). MIT Press.
Mapping the Adaptive Capacity of a Viability-Seeking Protocell
Kolezhitskiy Y., Egbert M. D., Postlethwaite C.
In ALIFE 2026: Proceedings of the 2026 Artificial Life Conference (Vol. 38, p. 70). MIT Press.

2024

Dynamics of human exploration of novel sensorimotor contingencies.
Skuljan, N., Erb C., Egbert M.
In Artificial Life Conference Proceedings 36 (Vol. 2024, No. 1, p. 25). MIT Press.

2023

Exploring the Dynamics of Cognitive Control using Virtual Reality
Morrison S., Erb C., Egbert M., Gurr M., Nicholson-Brown A., Lee D.
Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 45
Playing and Being Played by the Drums.
Egbert M. D.
ALIFE 2023: Ghost in the Machine: Proceedings of the 2023 Artificial Life Conference. https://doi.org/10.1162/isal_a_00680

2022

Stochastic Analysis of The Viability of a Protocell
Kolezhitskiy Y., Egbert M. D., Postlethwaite C.,
2022 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI), Singapore, pp. 1537-1544, doi: 10.1109/SSCI51031.2022.10022293.
Investigating a Minimal Categorical Perception Task with a Node-Based Sensorimotor Map
Woolford F., Egbert M. D.
From Animals to Animats 16: The 16th International Conference on the Simulation of Adaptive Behavior
Towards Adaptive Sensorimotor Autonomy: Developing a system that can adapt to its own emergent and dynamic needs
Egbert M. D.
Artificial Life Conference Proceedings
Is Prediction Required? Using Evolutionary Robotics to Investigate How Systems Cope with Self-Caused Stimuli
Garner J., Egbert M. D.
Artificial Life Conference Proceedings

2020

A Precarious Sensorimotor Sequence Reiterator for Modelling Enactive Habits
Woolford F., Egbert M. D.
Artificial Life Conference Proceedings, 32, 771–779.
Dynamical Systems Analysis of a Protocell
Kolezhitskiy, Y., Egbert M. D., Postlethwaite C.
Artificial Life Conference Proceedings, 32, 699–701.
Marangoni Based Motile Oil-Droplets in Simulated Artificial Chemistry
Egbert M. D.
Artificial Life Conference Proceedings, 32, 260–262

2019

Real-Time Visualization and Interaction with Computational Artefacts
Egbert M. D.
Abstract accepted for oral presentation at MethAL workshop at ALIFE2019.
Steering the Growth of Adaptive Self-Preserving Dissipative Structures
Egbert M. D., Kolezhitskiy Y., Virgo N.
in Fellermann H., Bacardit J., Goni-Moreno A., Fuchslin M. (Eds.) The 2019 Conference on Artificial Life 2019. No. 31, 255-262
Different Forms of Random Motor Activity Scaffold the Formation of Different Habits in a Simulated Robot
Zarco M., Egbert M. D.
in Fellermann H., Bacardit J., Goni-Moreno A., Fuchslin M. (Eds.) The 2019 Conference on Artificial Life. No. 31, 582-589

2018

Investigations of an Adaptive and Autonomous Sensorimotor Individual
Egbert M. D.
The 2018 Conference on Artificial Life: A Hybrid of the European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL) and the International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (ALIFE), 343-350

2017

Lag in Situated, Embodied and Dynamical Adaptive Systems
Egbert M. D., Keane A., Postlethwaite C.
In: Advances in Artificial Life, Proceedings of the 14th European Conference on Artificial Life, ECAL, (pp. 130–137) MIT Press.

2016

Quantifying Viability
Egbert M. D., Pérez-Mercader J.
In Artificial Life 15: Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems. MIT Press.

2014

Habit-based Regulation of Essential Variables
Egbert M. D., Canamero L.
In: H. Sayama, J. Rieffel, S. Risi, R. Doursat, & H. Lipson (Eds.) Artificial Life 14: Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems

2013

Synthetic signalling protocell networks as models of neural computation
Egbert M. D., Gruenert G., Escuela G., Dittrich P.
In P. Lio, O. Miglino, G. Nicosia, S. Nolfi, & M. Pavone (Eds.), Advances in Artificial Life, ECAL (pp. 248–249)

2011

Quantifying Normative Behaviour and Precariousness in Adaptive Agency
Egbert M. D., Barandiaran X. E.
In: Lenaerts T., Giacobini M., Bersini H., Bourgine P., Dorigo M. & Doursat R. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th European Conference on Artificial Life. MIT Press

2010

Behavioral Metabolution: Metabolism based behavior enables new forms of adaptation and evolution
Egbert M. D., Barandiaran X. E., Di Paolo E. A.
In: Fellermann H, Dorr M, Hanczyc M, Laursen LL, Maurer S, Merkle D et al., (Eds.), Artificial Life XII: Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems. (pp. 213–220). MIT Press

2009

Chemo-ethology of an Adaptive Protocell: Sensorless sensitivity to implicit viability conditions
Egbert M. D., Di Paolo E. A., Barandiaran X. E.
In G. Kampis, I. Karsai, & E. Szathmary (Eds.), Advances in Artificial Life, Proceedings of the 10th European Conference on Artificial Life, ECAL. (pp. 242–250). Springer, Berlin
The Role of the Spatial Boundary in Autopoiesis
Virgo N., Egbert M. D., Froese T.
In: Proceedings of the Tenth European Conference on Artificial Life, ECAL09. (pp. 234–242), Budapest, Springer Verlag

2008

Mechanisms of adaptation to periodic environmental change
Egbert M. D., Di Paolo E. A.
In M. Schlesinger, L. Berthouze, & C. Balkenius (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Epigenetic Robotics (Vol. 139, pp. 141–142) Lund University Cognitive Studies

Other

2019

Realtime Visualization and Interaction Toolkit Source Code
Egbert M. D.
This is a free Python-based framework built on top of http://kivy.org that I developed to visualize and interact with my computational models.

2015

ENSO Seminars
Virtual Seminar Series
A collaboration with Marek McGann. · 2015–present

Publications

Journal articles

Conference proceedings

Other

Popular articles & reviews