Open-Ended Evolution in Visually Rich Virtual Worlds: Implementation, Analysis, and Use in Undergraduate Education

在进化计算系统中，达尔文的变异和选择原则支配着模拟环境中数字表示的发展，在科学和工程的几个领域中都有应用。随着高质量3D可视化和交互设施的增加，这样的系统还可以提供进入复杂和动态演变的虚拟世界的戏剧性窗口。这个项目建立在PI在进化计算方面的工作之上，以生产在视觉丰富的虚拟世界中实现开放式进化的软件。该项目旨在生产为从进化生物学到最优化理论等领域提供研究机会的实验室环境的软件。该软件模拟进化过程，并根据达尔文原理进行进化，从而改进了自身。该项目的第一个目标是通过行为复杂、视觉呈现的虚拟世界本质上令人信服的逼真动态，吸引和吸引本科生(包括理科专业和非专业专业的学生)。为了实现这一点，开发的软件包括一个图形用户界面，使非程序员能够制定和调查关于进化过程的有意义的问题，为本科生提供真正的研究体验。该项目的第二个目标是支持对这些相同问题的基础研究。该系统使用现代、强大的进化计算技术，既可用于单台PC，也可用于高性能计算机集群。该软件支持本科生和教职员工的研究，并通过开发基于进化计算的有用技术，以及通过以非科学家可以理解的格式呈现研究结果，有助于理解进化。

Evolutionary computation systems, in which Darwinian principles of variation and selection govern the development of digital representations in simulated environments, have applications in several areas of science and engineering. With the addition of facilities for high-quality 3D visualization and interactivity, such systems can also provide dramatic windows into complex and dynamically evolving virtual worlds. This project builds on the PI's work on evolutionary computation to produce software that implements open-ended evolution in visually rich virtual worlds. The project aims to produce software that provides a laboratory environment of research opportunities for fields ranging from evolutionary biology to optimization theory. This software simulates evolutionary processes and evolves based on Darwinian principles, thus improving itself. First goal of the project is to attract and engage undergraduates (both science majors and non-majors) via the intrinsically compelling life-like dynamics of behaviorally complex, visually presented virtual worlds. To achieve this, the developed software includes a graphical user interface that enables non-programmers to formulate and investigate meaningful questions about evolutionary processes, providing genuine research experience to undergraduates. Second goal of the project is to support fundamental research on these same questions. The system uses modern, robust evolutionary computing technologies and can be implemented both for single PCs and for high-performance computer clusters. The software supports both undergraduate and faculty research, and contributes to the understanding of evolution, by developing useful technologies based on evolutionary computation, and by presenting research results in formats understandable by non-scientists.