Evolving Model Rockets with Quality Diversity

This page presents research in applying Quality Diversity Algorithms to the task of designing Model Rockets, which are simulated using Open Rocket before being constructed and launched. We used the Pyribs framework to apply the QD Algorithms MAP-Elites, CMA-ME, and CMA-MAP Annealing.

This research was conducted in collaboration with Assistant Professor of Physics Cody Crosby. The source code for evolving and simulating the rockets is on available on GitHub.

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Images and Videos

Images and video of the real rockets on launch day.

Related Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Jacob Schrum, Benjamin Capps, Kirby Steckel, Vanessa Volz, and Sebastian Risi (2023). Hybrid Encoding For Generating Large Scale Game Level Patterns With Local Variations, IEEE Transactions on Games (ToG 2023). March. Volume 15, No. 1, pages 46 - 55. IEEE. (appendix and levels, software).

Peer-Reviewed Conference Publications

Jacob Schrum, and Cody Crosby (2025). A Quality Diversity Approach to Evolving Model Rockets, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2025). (software).

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, Mark Mueller, and Jacob Schrum (2023). Evolving Flying Machines in Minecraft Using Quality Diversity, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2023). (movies, software, slides, presentation).

Jacob Schrum, Vanessa Volz, and Sebastian Risi (2020). CPPN2GAN: Combining Compositional Pattern Producing Networks and GANs for Large-scale Pattern Generation, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2020). (presentation, slides, software).

Extended Abstracts

Kirby Steckel, and Jacob Schrum (2021). Illuminating the Space of Beatable Lode Runner Levels Produced By Various Generative Adversarial Networks, Companion to the Proceedings of the Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation (GECCO Companion 2021). (poster, levels, software). (also extended into a technical report)

Technical Reports

Kirby Steckel, and Jacob Schrum (2021). Illuminating the Space of Beatable Lode Runner Levels Produced By Various Generative Adversarial Networks, ArXiv e-print: 2101.07868, January, 2021. (levels, software).

Dagstuhl Reports

Jacob Schrum, Alex J. Champandard, Guillaume Chanel, Amy K. Hoover, Ahmed Khalifa, Mark J. Nelson, Mike Preuß, and Vanessa Volz (2023). Quality Diversity for Procedural Content Generation, Dagstuhl Reports: Artificial and Computational Intelligence in Games: Human-Game AI Interaction (Dagstuhl Seminar 22251), Volume 12, No. 6, pages 65 - 69. Editors: Dan Ashlock, Setareh Maghsudi, Diego Perez Liebana, Pieter Spronck, and Manuel Eberhardinger. Schloss Dagstuhl--Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik

Undergraduate Poster Presentations Supervised

Joanna Lewis, and Travis Rafferty (2024). Using Multi-Objective Quality Diversity to Evolve Complex Machines in Minecraft, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software).

Joanna Lewis, and Travis Rafferty (2023). Using Multi-Objective Quality Diversity to Evolve Complex Machines in Minecraft, Southwestern University High Impact Experiences Celebration. (movies, software).

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2023). Using Quality Diversity to Evolve Flying Machines in Minecraft, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (poster presentation, movies, software). 3rd Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2022). Using Quality Diversity to Generate Flying Machines in Minecraft, Southwestern University High Impact Experiences Celebration. (movies, software).

Anna Wicker (2022). Target-Based Image Evolution Using Quality Diversity Based Exclusively on Genome Complexity, Alpha Chi National Convention. (software).

Anna Wicker (2021). Target-Based Image Evolution Using Quality Diversity Based Exclusively on Genome Complexity, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (software).

Maxx Batterton (2021). Evaluating Quality Diversity Success by Transferring MAP Elites Archives, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (software).

Kirby Steckel (2020). Evolving Lode Runner Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (levels, software).

Associated Movies and Images

Miscellaneous Content

Summer 2023: AI Evolution of Machines in Minecraft: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students

Summer 2023: SCOPE: Training AI in Minecraft with Dr. Jacob Schrum, video about my second summer focusing on research in Minecraft.

Spring 2023: Evolving Flying Machines in Minecraft Using Quality Diversity, presentation by Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium

Summer 2022: Generating Structures with AI in Minecraft: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students

Summer 2021: Quality Diversity and Creative Divergent Search: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students

Fall 2020: Procedural Content Generation for Games with Generative Adversarial Networks: Presentation for the Games AI Research Group at Queen Mary University of London (video)

Fall 2020: Evolving Lode Runner Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks: Virtual SCOPE Open House Website

Summer 2020: Generating Video Game Levels Using AI: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students

Last Updated: 6/5/2025