there's another topic here related to spring-based creatures.  they've actually been evolved with a simple genetic algorithm to run like the wind.

http://www.java-gaming.org/cgi-bin/JGNetForums/YaBB.cgi?board=jogl;action=display;num=1095590540

thanks!  

it was really exciting to see the evolution of these creatures happen overnight.  usually the surprises we get from our computers are malfunctions, but these were positive surprises.    it's a remarkably straightforward algorithm.

it's true that the graphics are not core for this, but fast graphics is the only way i can make the elastic interval model accessible to people.  now with the running creatures it seems that everyone intuitively understands and appreciates it.

what i would like to do with it is create darwin@home (like seti@home) so that multitudes of computers can evolve creatures in parallel.   this would allow exploration into other dimensions of evolution beyond only evolving movement, like growth, or hunting/fleeing behavior.  with a distributed computing based ecosystem, it might be possible to evolve creatures that are hard to kill in a gaming context, for example.

if you see potential for collaboration, let me know.

i wrote an article for java.net recently about my project, where i evolve running creatures:  

http://today.java.net/pub/a/today/2004/07/20/fluidiom.html

i had the same thing

what i ended up doing was a fresh install of SuSE 9.1 (i was on 8.2, with lotsa modifications).  that probably won't help, but at least you know that you're not alone with this problem.