Framsticks

Artificial Life Models in Software provides an introduction and guide to modern software tools for modeling and simulating life-like phenomena, written by those who personally design and develop software, hardware, and art installations in artificial life, simulated complex systems and virtual worlds. This timely volume offers a nearly exhaustive overview and original analysis of major non-profit software packages that are actively developed and supported by experts in artificial life and software design. The carefully selected topics include: simulation and evolution of real and artificial life forms, natural and artificial morphogenesis, self-organization, models of communication and social behaviors, emergent collective behaviors and swarm intelligence, agent-based simulations, autonomous and evolutionary robotics, adaptive, complex and biologically inspired ecosystems, artificial chemistries, and creative computer art. The models of life presented here are essential components in undergraduate and post-graduate courses in complex adaptive systems, multi-agent systems, collective robotics and nature-inspired computing. Readers interested in artificial life, evolutionary biology, simulation, cybernetics, computer graphics and animation, neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy will find this monograph a valuable guide and an excellent resource for supplementary reading.