Seek

From source:

"Seek," a computer-controlled robotic environment that, at least in theory, cybernetically reconfigured itself in response to the behavior of the gerbils that inhabited it.

It was another AI-inspired programming effort that hardly reached its goals, except on metaphorical level: living gerbils had been placed on a glass-caged arena with aluminium building blocks, and a computer-controlled robot arm operating from above. The system, engaged in arranging the blocks according to pre-programmed schemes was supposed to respond “intelligently” to the “noise” created by the gerbils, bumping on the blocks, etc.

From source:

The Architecture Machine Group he headed contributed Seek (featured on the cover of the Software catalog), which housed the above mentioned violence-prone gerbils in an environment of metal blocks. These blocks were light enough to be rearranged by the gerbils’ movements. Seek reacted to the modifications the gerbils made by stacking the blocks into more grid-like versions of the gerbils’ “designs,” using a movable electromagnet.

Thoughts:
It would be nice to see it in action, as it is hard to imagine how this would work. I wonder how well AI programmed in 1970 can respond to the rearrangement of the blocks, and how it worked with the 3D aspect of the blocks (towers), and how much the gerbils moved these blocks.
I'm guessing the blocks are the system and the collaboration is how the gerbils and the robot AI work together.

Possible intentions of this work:
- If computer controlled grid-like arrangements were more effective than those controlled by organic creatures.
- If AI/computer precision helped or hindered the creatures.
- How well the gerbils/AI could cooperate.
- How the gerbils would respond to the more "efficient" designs.
- A commentary on the possible future of architecture and potential of AI