Drive Alone

Main window

This window is centered on the current best car.

Brain

This is an abstract representation of the current best car brain.

Minimap

An overview of the whole track

Load and show

Obtain the current brains of the cars using the "show" button.

Load a previously saved configuration using the "load" button.

What's going on hre?

What are those rectangles doing there? And why are they sending beams in front of them? Can't we tell them what to do? They seem really bad at what they do, whatever it is.

Wow, calm down there! One at the time, raise your hand and get a ticket.

First, those little rectangles symbolize cars, and those wierd looking beams are actually captors. Each captor gives the car a single information: a number representing the distance to the closest wall in that direction.

As for telling them what to do, why would you spoil it all and break that amazing learning circle?

Learning circle? Do you mean to make me believe those blocks can learn anything?

Yes, you got it! Those cars have a brain…

A brain‽

Yes, but let me finish, they have a synthetic brain, displayed in the second panel, that slowly adapts to their environment to finally figure out by themselves how to move to their goal.

And how do you explain the brain?

I don't.

Pleeeeeaaaaase…

No, you don't understand. I can't explain it, because I don't understand it.

Didn't you make it?

Yes I did, but I created it empty. I am now unable to understand how it evolved to the current state, all I know is that, by trial and error, given enough feedback, it guesses by itself which way to improve.

I don't understand.

This is called machine learning, a whole branch of computer science. That "brain" is actually called a neural network and it works with very basic math. If you want to know more, fell free to search the web for infinite knowledge.

OK, I'm entering a tunnel now, TTYL.

OK, bye!