Evolvae

An interactive artwork that explores a self-sustaining ecosystem inhabited by sentient alien organisms. Patches of algae continually replenish the pool as a consistent food supply. The art work explores the creatures' relationship to their environment -- how the environment affects them and vice versa. As the creatures interact with one another and with the environment, they produce abstract tones to form a melodious soundscape.

Users exert their influence upon the environment by accelerating the growth of the algae to make it blossom or to burn it out. The light source also serves to guide as smaller creatures with weaker autonomy are attracted to it. The user can then choose to shelter these immature creatures, steering them away from larger predators or go the opposite way, choosing to feed the predators instead. Over time, the effects of the user's actions can be observed through the evolution of the creatures and the environment.

Chained segments of simple translucent circle with basic inverse kinematics. Able to grow new segments.


Early designs and sketches:

Initial concept of an evolving landscape. When a larva dies, its remains sink down and become part of the environment.

The idea was abandoned for a simpler background that cycles through a range of colors.





The background changes constantly to create a fluid organic effect.

Unfortunately, the idea could not be implemented until the algorithm is better optimized for speed.

Each larva can evolve in different ways.





When a larva consumes a food particle, it either grows a new segment or upgrade an existing one. When attacked by another larva, it might devolve or die if it has no more existing segments.

Triangle collision detection based off above. This is used for each larva's cone of vision.

The interactive artwork is programmed to run on the ReacTIVision engine.



Users interact with the program by using markers. These markers have fiducials that are recognized by the ReacTIVision engine.

The user interacts with the artwork by using the markers. The markers generate their own light source. The light guides the creatures as well as affect the growth of the algae. The user could engage in several ways of playing -- guiding the smaller fishes away from predators and into the vicinity of food sources will result in a large population of organisms while burning off the algae results in stiff competition for food among the creatures.