Artificial Life Models in Software

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,

• 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.