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

视觉丰富的虚拟世界中的开放式进化：本科教育中的实施、分析和使用

• 批准号: 0308540
• 负责人: Lee Spector
• 金额: $ 30.49万
• 依托单位: Hampshire College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-07-01 至 2008-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0308540&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Open; Ended; Evolution; Visually; Rich

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.

进化计算系统在科学和工程的多个领域都有应用，其中达尔文的变异和选择原理控制着模拟环境中数字表示的发展。通过增加高质量 3D 可视化和交互性设施，此类系统还可以为复杂且动态发展的虚拟世界提供引人注目的窗口。该项目以 PI 在进化计算方面的工作为基础，开发出在视觉丰富的虚拟世界中实现开放式进化的软件。该项目旨在开发软件，为从进化生物学到优化理论等领域提供研究机会的实验室环境。该软件模拟进化过程，根据达尔文原理进化，从而改进自身。该项目的首要目标是通过行为复杂、视觉呈现的虚拟世界的本质上引人注目的逼真动态来吸引和吸引本科生（包括科学专业和非专业的学生）。为了实现这一目标，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研究有关进化过程的有意义的问题，为本科生提供真正的研究经验。该项目的第二个目标是支持这些相同问题的基础研究。 该系统采用现代、强大的进化计算技术，既可以用于单台 PC，也可以用于高性能计算机集群。该软件支持本科生和教师的研究，并通过开发基于进化计算的有用技术以及以非科学家可以理解的格式呈现研究结果，有助于对进化的理解。