Computer Evolution of Buildable Objects

We believe that not just the software, but also the physical body of a robot could be the result of an evolutionary process.

A step in this direction is the evolution of buildable lego structures, designed by the computer through the combination of genetic algorithms and physical simulation.

Evolutionary Lego Crane

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This animation shows our evolutionary Lego crane in action. Click here to see a full mpeg video (4.7 mb).

The arm of this crane was evolved by our evolutionary Lego simulation system to lift a weight of .5 kg.

We designed a rotating base for the crane and feeded it into a genetic algorithm in the form of a set of constraints.

After a satisfactory arm is found, the computer prints a schematic of the arm. We build it, carefully following these instructions.

This video shows our crane lifting a .5 kg roll of solder.

More information about Computer Evolution of Buildable Objects

• In the News Read what the press has said about this project!

• Examples of Evolved Structures
  2D
  • Lego Bridge
  • Long Bridge
  • Lego Crane
  • Lego Tree

    3D

  • Lego Table

• EvoCAD An intelligent CAD System

• NEW Source Code now available.

• NEW Read our article in the Autumn 07 issue of SIGEVOlution.

• The book
• The book Evolutionary Design by Computers features a chapter about this project.

• Future work

• Publications

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Lego building & video editing by Joe Uchill