Camouflage in nature seems to arise from competition between predator and prey. To survive, predators must find prey, and prey must avoid being found. This work simulates an abstract model of that adversarial relationship. It looks at crypsis through evolving prey camouflage patterns (as color textures) in competition with evolving predator vision. During their "lifetime" predators learn to better locate camouflaged prey. The environment for this 2D simulation is provided by a set of photographs, typically of natural scenes. This model is based on two evolving populations, one of prey and another of predators. Mutual conflict between these populations can produce both effective prey camouflage and predators skilled at "breaking" camouflage. The result is an open source artificial life model to help study camouflage in nature, and the perceptual phenomenon of camouflage more generally.

翻译：自然界中的伪装现象似乎源于捕食者与猎物之间的竞争。为求生存，捕食者必须发现猎物，而猎物则需避免被捕食者发现。本研究通过模拟这种对抗关系的抽象模型，考察了在演化过程中猎物伪装图案（以色纹形式）与捕食者视觉系统之间的竞争关系。在捕食者的“生命周期”中，它们通过学习能更有效地定位伪装猎物。该二维仿真的环境由一组摄影图像（通常为自然场景）构成。本模型基于两个协同演化的种群：猎物种群与捕食者种群。这两个种群间的相互博弈能够催生出高效的猎物伪装策略，以及擅长“破解”伪装技能的捕食者。该成果构建了一个开源的人工生命模型，有助于研究自然界中的伪装现象，并更广泛地探究伪装这一感知现象。