Developmental processes in silicon: an engineering perspective

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the requirements of developmental processes from the perspective of their implementation in digital hardware. After recalling the motivations for such an implementation, we concentrate separately on the two mechanisms (cellular division and cellular differentiation) that are exploited by biological systems to realize development. We then describe some of the current and projected solutions to implement such mechanisms in hardware, and conclude by analyzing the most interesting features of developmental approaches.