Title: Evolution and Learning of Virtual Robots Author: RNDr. Peter Krčah Department: Department of Software and Computer Science Education Supervisor: RNDr. František Mráz, CSc. Abstract: Evolutionary robotics uses evolutionary algorithms to automatically design both body and controller of a robot. We describe two contributions to automated design of virtual robotic creatures. First, we introduce a nature-inspired method that allows virtual robots to modify their morphology through lifetime learning. We show that such morphological plasticity makes it possible to evolve robots that can dynamically adjust their morphology to the environment they are placed into. We also show that by reshaping the fitness landscape, learning reduces computation cost required to evolve a robot with a given target fitness even in a single environment. In the second contribution, we show that for certain problems in evolutionary robotics, premature convergence to local optima can be avoided by ignoring the original objective and searching for any novel behaviors instead (a technique known as Novelty Search). Keywords: Evolution of Virtual Creatures, Body-brain Coevolution, Morphological Plasticity, Neural Networks, Learning

This master's thesis focuses on the utilization of the Czech Solver, a Czech national rabbit breed, which is registered in The National Programme on Conservation of genetic resources of plants, animals and micro-organisms for Food and Agriculture. The Czech Solver was originally invented to be able to confirm or disprove the purebred origin of the tested animal. This feature is useful for breeders so that compensates for low meat performance breed. Fertility monitored breeding is less than the average fertility medium breeds, among that is the Czech Solver sorted, and significantly lower than the fertility of broiler rabbits. Surveyed individuals have achieved monthly weight gain sampler breeds of rabbits, but fattening period to 2.70 kg live weight ranged from an average of 105 days for semi-intensive rearing system in cages to 135 days at a traditional pens housing system farming, which is at least 27 days longer than the period of fattening broiler rabbits. Average growth rates were observed in the amount of 19.7 g in traditional breeding and 20.6 g in semi-intensive farming. Because the rabbits were slaughtered when reaching 2.70 kg live weight, were at abattoir analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between males and females or between traditional and semi-intensive farming. Slaughter analysis confirmed the breed Czech Solver average percentages of the intermediate part, fore and hind parts of the carcass and a higher proportion of kidney fat compared to other breeds of rabbits included in the genetic resources and compared with broiler breeds.

This dissertation called Sociology of the Body and Its Use in Teaching at Primary Schools generally concernes with the sociology of the body, the sexual behavior, especially from a sociological point of view. The text focuses on the history of sexuality, the current concept of sexual behavior and sexual education. The qualifying work is completed with a practical part interviews with sex education teachers, who mainly answer the question about their view of teaching this subject.

School furniture is one of the risk factors contributing to the formation and development of poor posture. I paid attention to pupils of the first and second years of primary school, because they present a high-risk group due to the sudden passage from a spontaneous physical activity to a long-term static strain at school. The aim of the study was to map the suitability of ergonomic parameters of school furniture for pupils of the first and second years of primary school and to assess its influence on the development of poor posture. I focused on the chair height, the seat depth, the backrest and the worktop height and angle. I also wanted to examine teachers' awareness on the issue of school furniture, the proper seating posture and possibilities to compensate the static strain of children. The research group consisted of 146 pupils of the first and second years of randomly selected primary schools in České Budějovice. The theoretical part was elaborated by the document content analysis, the research was done in three steps. First, the quantitative interview method through questionnaires distributed to the parents of respondents was used. This was followed by investigations in classes and the last step was to answer additional questions to teachers and the school management. The results show that 88% of respondents use ergonomically unsuitable furniture, there is a greater incidence of negative findings in the furniture of the first year pupils in all investigated parameters, except low chairs and worktops, but these are only present in inconsiderable numbers. A significant association was found between sub-standard school furniture and pains in the back, head, arms and legs, leading to the formation and development of poor posture. Teachers´ awareness of this issue is good, but in my opinion it is inadequate in terms prevention. Early preventive measures can affect the condition of the movement apparatus in adulthood. Family and school should be the first involved. But an equally important role should be played by pediatricians and professionals in the public health protection, who should act not only as an inspection, but mainly as an advisory body. Therefore, it is important to increase the awareness of the general public and teachers on work chair and desk ergonomics, the proper seating posture and possibilities for a long-term static strain compensation.

This thesis analyzes the physical predispositions of students from the first grade of the physical education who attended a ski course. This course took place in France. This fact is quite important for the thesis because the course took place in a higher altitude. The main aim of the thesis is to compare results of tested probands before and after the course. At first, there was an information meeting where we provided more information about the aim of this thesis and about the testing. After this meeting we went to KTVS laboratory where the first measuring happened. After that all probands and other students left for the ski course to France for a week. The accommodation was in an Alpe d´Huez center which is situated 1860 meters and the highest point of it which is 3330 meters above the sea level. Probands were practicing in very high altitude all week. In this thesis we also look at how hard it is to work in this altitude, what kind of advantages and disadvantages it might have and which danger might come up. It is also necessary to think about the process of how probands should prepare themselves not to underestimate anything. The second measuring happened after the return to the Czech Republic. It also took place in KTVS laboratory. After the measuring we started analyzing all measured data of probands. We compared this data. After that we realised what this course brought to the students. We wanted to know what happens in following parts: body composition, Wingate test, spiroergometry and spirometry. In each part we were interested in some specific parameters that are related to this topic. We included specific parameters like: body fat, muscle mass, body water, maximum performance, average performance, maximum 5 seconds performance, fatigue index, VO2max, oxygen pulse, minute respiratory volume and vigorous vital capacity.

The diploma dissertation involves dilemma of self-perception of one´s body in teenagers related to their self-concept. It consists of the theoretical and the practical part. The theoretical part of dissertation defines personality in general and it also describes the teenage period and its typicall physical and psychical characters including the point of view of some theories of evolution. It also describes dilemma of changes of the body and different points of view of slef-perception of one´s body. The practical part of dissertation demonstrates results of evaluation of self-perception one´s body as well as information about content with physiognomy of one´s body and outer effects which influence the self-perception of one´s body mainly by using the quantitative method. The conclusions pointed to that evaluation of one´s body in connection with self-concept is notable and demonstrate differences and specificities between girl´s and boy´s self-perception of one´s body.

Nowadays children{\crq}s free time is filled up with watching TV and working on computer. Being out on the fresh air doesn{\crq}t attract most of them. For that reason there is an increase in number of children who suffer from various health troubles. And that{\crq}s why my diploma thesis deals with the possible influence upon the correct body posture and mental state of young learners through the dancing activities, providing that the children do them regularly. Theoretical part includes not only characteristic of motor development of young learners, human body, and folklore dancing and its relation to the present but also characteristic of used test methods. The research part is focused on analysis of used psychological and physiological tests. The tests were used at three groups of children during six months. The main aim was to find out if there is any improvement in the mental state through the regular dancing activities at the young learners.

I concentrate on the health physical education in my graduation theses which I think is necessary part of education on grounds of many occurrences of children´s poor posture at the first stage. I targeted the occurence of the children´s postural defect and I chose the appropriate test excercises for the orientation locomotive organs, postural muscles and flagging muscles assessment. I did a control test after one year exercising with the children and compared wheather the physical defects are reduced or disapeared with the regular training. It´s necessary to remind which postural defects are occured at the small children and elements implicated them.

The causes of musculoskeletal disorders, at present affecting a considerable pro-portion of the adult population and leading to poor posture, are to be looked for as early as in childhood. In recent decades an enormous increase in poor posture in the children of younger and older school-age has occurred, which is in most cases the result of a bad lifestyle. The lack of physical activity, an inappropriate school regime, unsuitable school furniture or heavy backpacks the children carry on their backs every day are the in-fluencing factors. Another aspect that can lead to poor posture in children is a relatively high number of children with flat feet. An inappropriate lifestyle and one-sidedness of modern life also leads to obesity and thus the restriction of movement in children. In my thesis I focused on poor posture in pupils of selected primary schools in the district of Příbram. The monitored group was children aged 8-15 years, attending 3-9 primary school grades. The purpose of my diploma thesis was to assess the prevalence of poor posture in primary school pupils in relation to their lifestyle and physical activity, to survey the risk factors leading to poor posture in these children, and to map the connection of poor posture in primary school children with prevalence of flat feet in children. In relation to the purpose I stated three hypotheses, assuming that children with a wrong lifestyle and an insufficient physical activity are more prone to poor posture, that the children influenced by more risk factors suffer more often from musculoskeletal disorders and poor posture and also that the children with flat feet are more predisposed to poor posture. To conduct the research, I chose the methodology of quantitative descriptive study through questionnaires. The research was carried out in two schools differently specialized, one of the schools is focused on mathematics and computer science and implements the program the Health Promoting School (Primary School Jiráskovy sady in Příbram), the second is focused on sports, particularly volleyball (Primary School Pod Svatou Horou Příbram). A total of 340 children from both schools were addressed by identical question-naires. The questionnaire was anonymous and the questions were directed primarily at these children lifestyle assessment. The questionnaire contained 37 questions in total, focused primarily on the principles of healthy lifestyle, physical activity, leisure activi-ties, school furniture, the school work regime and the prevalence of poor posture and flat feet. The return rate of the completed questionnaires was 85,3%, which means 290 questionnaires from the two schools. Based on the results from the completed questionnaires, I compared the two groups of examined pupils in terms of their compliance with the principles of healthy lifestyle, the prevalence of poor posture and the prevalence of flat feet.

Purpose of my graduation thesis is to find out the influence of a targeted physical activity upon formation of a correct posture habit by pupils of sekunda and tercie at a multiannual high school Česko-anglické gymnázium in České Budějovice. There were 34 probands participating in the research and devided into two groups, experimental and checking, where as both groups counted 17 probands. Both groups were put under an entering test that analysed posture according to Jaroš and Lomíček, shuttle run 4 x 10 metres, which specially tests fitness, and tests for shortened and weakened muscles. Classes of health PE with the experimental group took place under my leading in the following six weeks. The checking group continued with ordinary PE according to the school curriculum under leading of it{\crq}s school teacher. After aforesaid six weeks took place a check out measurement idetical with the entering test. In the entering test 88% of pupils in experimental group had correct posture and 12% had poor posture while 94% pupils of the checking group had correct posture and 6% had poor posture. After six weeks of exercising with the experimental group had 94% of pupils in the check out test correct posture and 6% had excellent posture. 88% of the checking group had in the check out test correct posture and 12% had poor posture. The outcomes displayed that it is possible to improve a posture habit under an influence of a targeted physical activity.