Learning environment models in car racing using stateful Genetic Programming

For computational intelligence to be useful in creating game agent AI we need to focus on methods that allow the creation and maintenance of models for the environment, which the artificial agents inhabit. Maintaining a model allows an agent to plan its actions more effectively by combining immediate sensory information along with a memories that have been acquired while operating in that environment. To this end, we propose a way to build environment models for non-player characters in car racing games using stateful Genetic Programming. A method is presented, where general-purpose 2-dimensional data-structures are used to build a model of the racing track. Results demonstrate that model-building behaviour can be cooperatively coevolved with car-controlling behaviour in modular programs that make use of these models in order to navigate successfully around a racing track.