chrxh/alien

What it solves

ALIEN provides a high-performance environment for simulating artificial life. It allows researchers and hobbyists to explore how complex, life-like structures and ecosystems can emerge from simple components through evolution, mutation, and interaction in a physics-based 2D world.

How it works

The system uses a specialized 2D particle engine written in CUDA (and optionally ROCm/HIP) to simulate soft bodies, fluids, and rigid body mechanics. Digital organisms are represented as networks of particles. These organisms are controlled by neural networks that orchestrate higher-level functions such as sensing and movement (muscles). Their blueprints are stored in genomes, which can be passed to offspring through a genetic system that constructs offspring cell-by-cell.

Who it’s for

• Researchers: Those studying (pre-)biotic evolution, biological complexity, and open-ended evolution.
• Generative Artists: People using evolution as a creative force to generate new forms and behaviors.
• Enthusiasts: Users interested in playing "god" in a simulated universe with realistic physics.

Highlights

• GPU-Accelerated: Entirely GPU-driven via CUDA/HIP for real-time simulation of millions of particles.
• Neural Control: Organisms use neural networks to manage sensors and physical equipment.
• Comprehensive Tooling: Includes a graph editor for particle manipulation, a genetic editor for designing organisms, and a built-in simulation browser for sharing files.
• Flexible Physics: Simulates heat dissipation, adhesion, damage, and fluid mechanics.
• CLI Support: A command-line interface for performance measurement and automated evaluation of simulations.