Red Pepper - Evolved Virtual Creature

This creature is from a population evolved in 3DVCE. This sort of flailing worm strategy evolves fairly often; a kind of dead end (so it seems) that many populations seem to hit. At least they're enjoyable to watch.

Processing for the evolution was kindly donated on the PC of Rob Cattral.

Want to evolve unique creatures of your own? Visit the project web site at:
http://www.stellaralchemy.com/lee/virtual_creatures.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 3D
• virtual
• creature
• evolution
• genetic
• algorithm

[lardhat]

What was the parameter of success here? Altitude?

[kjlg74]

If I recall correctly, this one was evolved for a while to maximize jumping height, and then switch to travel distance. That mix seems to lead to these sorts of creatures that move in random directions fairly often.

[lardhat]

Oh, thanks.

Do you ever put them to compete directly against each other? In the same environment, i mean.

[kjlg74]

No, but it's something I'm very much itching to do. Some kind of one-on-one competition - maybe a kind of creature sumo wrestling!

[lardhat]

I'll be looking forward to seeing that.

I guess predation would be very complicated in this type of simulation, right?

[kjlg74]

Hmmm... predation might not be too bad. Population A (call them the "prey") can be rewarded in proportion to the distance they keep from an individual in population B (call them "predators"), and predators can be rewarded with some inverse-proportion (or something) of the distance they keep from an individual prey. Each individual could be evaluated against the best individual in the other population. That should work, I think, provided I implement a sense "organ" for detecting other creatures.

[kjlg74]

Maybe "predation" wouldn't quite be the right word - it would be some some sort of "pursuit" / "evasion" co-evolution.

[Asurnasurpal]

From what I understand, most Earth life evolved as flailing worms until the Cambian, perhaps you should try and find what caused the explosion? Just a sudgestion.