SuperDuperWalker

SuperDuperWalker is a software-based framework, developed by Jon Klein, Kyle Harrington, and Lee Spector, for experiments on the evolution of locomotion. It simulates the behavior of evolving agents in a 3D physical simulation environment and displays this behavior in real time. A genetic algorithm controls the evolution of the agents. Students manipulate parameters with a graphical user interface and plot outputs using standard utilities. The software supports an inquiry cycle that has been piloted in CS193T: Biocomputational Developmental Ecology at Hampshire College.

• A brief paper on SuperDuperWalker, written to accompany a poster at the 12th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2005).
• The course web page for CS 193T: Biocomputational Developmental Ecology.
• The breve simulation environment (required for running SuperDuperWalker).
• SuperDuperWalker.zip (source code, sample data file, and interface file; the system will run on any platform supported by breve, but the optional interface panel will appear only under Mac OS X).
• Terse notes for incorporating SuperDuperWalker into a class.
• Movies:
  • jump-tangle-1.mov
  • jump-tangle-2.mov
  • twitch-flop.mov

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0308540 and Grant No. 0216344.