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：自然界的伪装现象源于捕食者与猎物之间的竞争。为求生存，捕食者需发现猎物，而猎物则要避免被发现。本研究通过构建该对抗关系的抽象模型进行仿真，聚焦于动态演化的猎物伪装图案（以色纹理形式呈现）与同步进化的捕食者视觉系统之间的竞争。捕食者在其"生命周期"中会逐步提升定位伪装猎物的能力。该二维仿真环境以自然场景照片集为基础，模型包含两个并行进化的种群——猎物与捕食者。种群间的相互对抗既能催生有效的猎物伪装，也可塑造出擅长"破解"伪装的捕食者。最终形成一个开源的人工生命模型，用以研究自然界伪装现象及更广义的感知性伪装机理。