3D Virtual Creature Evolution
Encyclopedia
3D Virtual Creature Evolution, abbreviated to 3DVCE, is an artificial evolution simulation program created by Lee Graham. Its purpose is to visualize and research common themes in body plan
s and strategies to achieve a fitness function
of the artificial organisms
generated and maintained by the system in their given environment. The program was inspired by Dr. Karl Sims’s
artificial evolution program, Evolved Virtual Creatures, in 1994. The program is ran through volunteers who download the program from the home website and return information from completed simulations. It is currently only available on Windows and in some cases Linux
.
Fitness function is then determined. Artificial organisms’ fitness score is determined by how well they achieve their fitness goal within their evaluation time. Fitness functions include distance traveled, maximum height, average height, “TOG” (determined by amount of time creature is in contact with ground), and “Sphere” (determined by creature’s ability to catch and hold spheres). These goals are not individualized and can be set to specific strengths (from zero, as not having and influence on fitness, to one, or having maximum influence) to determine the fitness goal. What generations the fitness function applies to can also be set. The environment, or “Terrain”, is then determined. This includes a flat plain, bumpy terrain (in which a hill is generated around creature that constantly inclines as distance is traveled from the creature’s spawning point), water (a low gravity simulator, non-functional), and “spheres” (spheres are generated above creature to catch).
. After settings are determined, the first generation is generated from randomly created individuals. All creatures appear at the same spawning point and are made of segments or rectangular prisms connected to others at joints. Colors are assigned to segment types randomly. Segment type is determined by the size and joints a segment has. Colors indicate nothing else than that. These first generation creatures move randomly, with no influence from the fitness goal. Creatures with the largest fitness value reproduce and the following generation is based on this reproduction. Eventually, patterns in the population form and fitness increases even further. Fitness function can be changed during the simulation to simulate environmental changes and individual runs can be duplicated to simulate different lineages or speciation.
3DVCE is not only for evolutionary research. Objects can also be spawned for graphics and simulated physics tests. This includes pre-installed blocks, spheres, grenades, and structures that can either be thrown from camera or generated at a spawning point. Artificial gravity can also be manipulated. Random and archived creatures can also be re-spawned to manipulate or view. Lee Graham has also included a tardis
in the simulation, which when moved into can teleport the camera back to the original spawning point.
occurs often in 3DVCE, as similar structures and behaviors of the creatures form to maximize fitness. Two-Armed Jumpers consist of a small core and two large symmetrical limbs, they evolve in response to an average height and distance requirement. These creatures propel themselves forward using their limbs in a jumping motion. Jumping Ribbons and Springs consist of a chain of segments and evolve in response to max height and distance. They curl up like a spring and stretch out their body to leap into the air. Rolling Ribbons and Springs are very similar to the previous group, except they are often larger and segments are more repetitive. They evolve in response to average height, distance, and TOG (touching the ground). They roll on the ground to propel their head into the air to attain height while still touching the ground. Some simply roll in a horizontal fashion like a cylinder. Single-Joint Powered Creatures have more erratic structures and evolve in response to distance on bumpy terrain. They have one main joint that drags the core along, while the core anchors the creature.
Many other types of creatures also form that do not necessarily fit the four main groups previously described by Lee Graham. Tall stick-like creatures also evolve to attain maximum height. Some users have been able to fix the water simulator to evolve creatures that swim. Many other creatures evolve that share traits of multiple groups. There are currently over 220 creatures archived on the main website.
and got a Doctorate degree in Computer Science
at Carleton University
. He has made many publications on a variety of evolutionary computing topics with his colleague Franz Oppacher. He is also an out spoken skeptic
and Atheist. He has spoken to skeptic groups and promoted evolutionary teachings against theistic views. His YouTube
channel, named “kjlg74”, has over 450,600 viewings, which shows scientific and anti-theistic videos that promote the use of reason and logic, and also has many videos explaining his 3DVCE program and showing evolved creatures sent in by the volunteers who have downloaded 3DVCE. He is also a strong supporter of Darwin Day
. Lee is currently living in Connecticut
and working on post-doctorate work at Wesleyan University
and Connecticut College
in mathematics and computer science as a visiting professor.
Body plan
A body plan is the blueprint for the way the body of an organism is laid out. An organism's symmetry, its number of body segments and number of limbs are all aspects of its body plan...
s and strategies to achieve a fitness function
Fitness function
A fitness function is a particular type of objective function that is used to summarise, as a single figure of merit, how close a given design solution is to achieving the set aims....
of the artificial organisms
Artificial life
Artificial life is a field of study and an associated art form which examine systems related to life, its processes, and its evolution through simulations using computer models, robotics, and biochemistry. The discipline was named by Christopher Langton, an American computer scientist, in 1986...
generated and maintained by the system in their given environment. The program was inspired by Dr. Karl Sims’s
Karl Sims
Karl Sims is a computer graphics artist and researcher, who is best known for using particle systems and artificial life in computer animation....
artificial evolution program, Evolved Virtual Creatures, in 1994. The program is ran through volunteers who download the program from the home website and return information from completed simulations. It is currently only available on Windows and in some cases Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
.
Settings
3DVCE uses evolutionary algorithms to simulate evolution. The user sets the body plan restrictions (maximum number of segment types, branching segments’ length and depth limits, and size limits) and whether fitness score is scaled in relation to size. Limb interpenetration is also an option. Reproduction / population settings include the size of each population and their run time (how long each individual has to attain a fitness score), percentage of individuals who get to reproduce (tournament size), what percentage sexually or asexually reproduce, and selection type is then determined. Crossover rate determines what percentage of an individual is created via crossover of parents and mutation. Mutation rate in body and brain is then determined. Specific mathematical operations and values can be attributed to the creature’s brain as well.Fitness function is then determined. Artificial organisms’ fitness score is determined by how well they achieve their fitness goal within their evaluation time. Fitness functions include distance traveled, maximum height, average height, “TOG” (determined by amount of time creature is in contact with ground), and “Sphere” (determined by creature’s ability to catch and hold spheres). These goals are not individualized and can be set to specific strengths (from zero, as not having and influence on fitness, to one, or having maximum influence) to determine the fitness goal. What generations the fitness function applies to can also be set. The environment, or “Terrain”, is then determined. This includes a flat plain, bumpy terrain (in which a hill is generated around creature that constantly inclines as distance is traveled from the creature’s spawning point), water (a low gravity simulator, non-functional), and “spheres” (spheres are generated above creature to catch).
Simulation
Everything in the simulation is viewed from a first person viewpointFirst person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
. After settings are determined, the first generation is generated from randomly created individuals. All creatures appear at the same spawning point and are made of segments or rectangular prisms connected to others at joints. Colors are assigned to segment types randomly. Segment type is determined by the size and joints a segment has. Colors indicate nothing else than that. These first generation creatures move randomly, with no influence from the fitness goal. Creatures with the largest fitness value reproduce and the following generation is based on this reproduction. Eventually, patterns in the population form and fitness increases even further. Fitness function can be changed during the simulation to simulate environmental changes and individual runs can be duplicated to simulate different lineages or speciation.
3DVCE is not only for evolutionary research. Objects can also be spawned for graphics and simulated physics tests. This includes pre-installed blocks, spheres, grenades, and structures that can either be thrown from camera or generated at a spawning point. Artificial gravity can also be manipulated. Random and archived creatures can also be re-spawned to manipulate or view. Lee Graham has also included a tardis
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
in the simulation, which when moved into can teleport the camera back to the original spawning point.
Creatures
Convergent evolutionConvergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
occurs often in 3DVCE, as similar structures and behaviors of the creatures form to maximize fitness. Two-Armed Jumpers consist of a small core and two large symmetrical limbs, they evolve in response to an average height and distance requirement. These creatures propel themselves forward using their limbs in a jumping motion. Jumping Ribbons and Springs consist of a chain of segments and evolve in response to max height and distance. They curl up like a spring and stretch out their body to leap into the air. Rolling Ribbons and Springs are very similar to the previous group, except they are often larger and segments are more repetitive. They evolve in response to average height, distance, and TOG (touching the ground). They roll on the ground to propel their head into the air to attain height while still touching the ground. Some simply roll in a horizontal fashion like a cylinder. Single-Joint Powered Creatures have more erratic structures and evolve in response to distance on bumpy terrain. They have one main joint that drags the core along, while the core anchors the creature.
Many other types of creatures also form that do not necessarily fit the four main groups previously described by Lee Graham. Tall stick-like creatures also evolve to attain maximum height. Some users have been able to fix the water simulator to evolve creatures that swim. Many other creatures evolve that share traits of multiple groups. There are currently over 220 creatures archived on the main website.
Lee Graham
Lee Graham was born in Ontario, Canada in 1978. He moved to OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and got a Doctorate degree in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
. He has made many publications on a variety of evolutionary computing topics with his colleague Franz Oppacher. He is also an out spoken skeptic
Religious skepticism
Religious skepticism is a type of skepticism relating to religion, but should not be confused with atheism. Religious skeptics question religious authority and are not necessarily anti-religious but are those skeptical of a specific or all religious beliefs or practices. Some are deists, believing...
and Atheist. He has spoken to skeptic groups and promoted evolutionary teachings against theistic views. His YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel, named “kjlg74”, has over 450,600 viewings, which shows scientific and anti-theistic videos that promote the use of reason and logic, and also has many videos explaining his 3DVCE program and showing evolved creatures sent in by the volunteers who have downloaded 3DVCE. He is also a strong supporter of Darwin Day
Darwin Day
Darwin Day is a recently instituted celebration intended to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin's contribution to science and to promote science in general.-History:...
. Lee is currently living in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and working on post-doctorate work at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
and Connecticut College
Connecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
in mathematics and computer science as a visiting professor.