Microbot Evolution Lab 🤖🧬

An interactive, high-performance 2D Autonomous Artificial Life & Genetic Evolution Simulation built with React 18, TypeScript, and HTML5 Canvas.

Microbot Evolution Lab simulates self-steering microbots competing for energy particles, evading hazard zones, decaying battery charge, reproducing asexually, and passing down mutated traits across generations in real time.

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🌐 Live Web Demo & Releases

• Play Online: https://valliente.github.io/microbot-evolution-lab/
• Official Release (v1.0): Download Standalone Executables & Packages

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✨ Key Features & Highlights

• 🧠 Autonomous Rule-Based Steering: Microbots evaluate their surrounding environment dynamically using vector steering behaviors to WANDER, SEEK FOOD, EVADE HAZARDS, and REPRODUCE.
• 🧬 Natural Selection & Genetic Inheritance: Upon reaching peak battery charge, microbots undergo asexual reproduction. Offspring inherit mutated biological traits:
  • Speed & Agility ($1.0 - 5.0\text{ px/frame}$)
  • Sensory Vision Radius ($60 - 260\text{ px}$)
  • Energy Efficiency ($0.6\times - 2.5\times$)
  • Color Hue Alignment ($0^\circ - 360^\circ\text{ HSL}$)
  • Turn Rate & Steering Precision
• ⚡ Spatial Hash Grid Optimization ($O(1)$): Uses a uniform spatial hash grid to perform proximity lookups and collision checks across hundreds of active entities at 60 FPS without $O(N^2)$ slowdown.
• 🖱️ Interactive Mouse Spawner & Roster Menu:
  • Canvas Click: Click anywhere on the simulation grid to instantly drop 5 green energy dots under your cursor.
  • Microbot Roster Menu: Search, sort, and select microbots by Generation, Battery, Age, or Offspring count.
• 🛡️ Infinite Ecosystem Safety Net: Automated population minimum keeps the artificial ecosystem alive indefinitely without extinction.
• 📦 Multi-Format Standalone Desktop Executables: Bundled with Windows Defender-verified HTML Application (MicrobotEvolutionLab.hta), native C# executable (MicrobotEvolutionLab.exe), one-click batch launcher (PLAY.bat), and portable zip package.

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🎮 How to Play & Control

Control / Action	Description
🎯 SELECT BOT MENU	Opens an interactive roster popup to search, sort, and lock telemetry onto any microbot.
🍏 +20 FOOD	Drops 20 glowing green energy particles onto the grid.
🤖 +10 BOTS	Spawns 10 new baseline microbots with randomized traits.
💥 +HAZARD	Spawns a pulsing red damage hazard zone to test evolutionary survival.
🎬 AUTO DEMO	Automatically cycles tracking across surviving microbots every 5 seconds.
SPEED DROPDOWN	Adjust simulation clock rate from super slow-motion (0.05x) up to hyper speed (5.0x).

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🛠️ Architecture & Tech Stack

microbot-evolution-lab/
├── src/
│   ├── components/
│   │   ├── Canvas/
│   │   │   └── SimulationCanvas.tsx   # 60 FPS High-DPI Canvas Rendering Engine
│   │   └── UI/
│   │       ├── ControlPanel.tsx       # Real-time Parameter Sliders & Toggles
│   │       ├── Header.tsx             # Interactive Playback Controls & Action Buttons
│   │       ├── InspectorPanel.tsx     # Live Selected Bot Telemetry Dashboard
│   │       ├── PopulationChart.tsx    # Live Canvas Sparkline Population Graph
│   │       ├── RosterModal.tsx        # Searchable Microbot Selection Roster Menu
│   │       └── StatsDashboard.tsx     # Population, Birth, Death & Trait Cards
│   ├── simulation/
│   │   ├── MicrobotEngine.ts          # Core Physics, Lifecycle & Mutation Loop
│   │   ├── SpatialGrid.ts             # O(1) Spatial Hash Grid Collision Lookups
│   │   ├── steering.ts                # Steering Vector Physics (Wander, Seek, Evade)
│   │   └── types.ts                   # TypeScript Interfaces & State Schemas
│   ├── utils/
│   │   └── storage.ts                 # LocalStorage Persistence Layer
│   ├── App.tsx                        # Main Workspace Layout & State Sync
│   └── index.css                      # Glassmorphic CSS Design System
├── build-exe.js                       # Compiles Native C# Windows Executable via csc.exe
├── build-hta.js                       # Generates Defender-Verified HTML Application (.hta)
├── PLAY.bat                           # One-Click Windows Batch Runner
└── vite.singlefile.config.ts          # Bundles Standalone Single-File Distribution

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💻 Local Development Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ and npm

Quick Start

# 1. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/valliente/microbot-evolution-lab.git
cd microbot-evolution-lab

# 2. Install dependencies
npm install

# 3. Launch dev server
npm run dev

Build Standalone Executables

# Build web production bundle
npm run build

# Build single-file bundle & HTA application
npm run build:package

# Compile native C# Windows executable (MicrobotEvolutionLab.exe)
npm run build:exe

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📄 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Developed with ❤️ by @valliente.