[ODE] Community page

[Mattias Fagerlund]

> I'm really enjoying the discussion of evolved behaviors.  In Juice, a
> creature's movements are basically just sine waves of different phases
> and
> amplitudes applied to joints, and feedback loops from a body's
> orientation
> to one or more joints. 

Check out http://www.ventrella.com/GenePool/gene_pool.html, it's a 2d 
program that evolves both structure and behaviour - but the behaviour is 
basically offset, phase and amplitude. 

LimbAngle = offset + sin(Time + Phase) * Amplitude;

Quite similar to what you're describing. Jeffrey's also written several 
interesting papers about evolving articulated agents.

> I've been pondering a training feature to try
> using a GA to adjust the phases, amplitudes, and gains, but haven't
> actually implemented anything yet.  I'm hoping it will smooth out gaits
> that have been designed by hand.

I'm guessing you could have a GA running in a matter of days. Contact me 
off the list if you're interested in some ideas on that ;)

> I've come to the conclusion that this method of programming behavior
> creates creatures that tip over too easily though, so most of my time
> lately has gone into designing a new behavior programming language.

Your creatures are very complex, GAs could probably do a good job there.

cheers,
m