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.