Evolving RC circuits

Saikarthik Ramakrishnan built the Darwin Board, an ESP32-based evolving RC circuit that models 2040 possible genome combinations and mutates between filter configurations to adapt to changing signal environments. The project, documented on Hackaday.io and GitHub, applies evolutionary algorithm principles to the normally simple RC circuit so it can suppress whatever signal a given environment requires. The work matters as a demonstration of adapting basic analog filtering to changing conditions rather than fixing a single design.

We are surrounded by evolving algorithms and AI models, and it feels like we have to evolve to them as well. Of course, the world itself is always evolving, and when we have to implement filtering circuits based on current environments it might not last all that long. Saikarthik Ramakrishnan realized that this phenomenon can easily apply to simple RC circuits, so why not make them adapt to the changing world itself? This is exactly what the Darwin Board https://hackaday.io/project/206771-darwin-board-evolving-rc-circuits is meant to do: act like an evolving simple RC circuit for whatever environment or signal you want gone. RC circuits are normally considered to be relatively simple in the world of circuits; however, the real world isn’t always all that simple. This simple evolutionary algorithm implemented by Saikarthik Ramakrishnan attempts to apply similar principles used in other evolving models to the humble RC circuit. Based on an ESP32, the Darwin Board is a fairly simple model of 2040 possible combinations of genomes. Yes, each possible RC circuit is its own genome, which allows simple evolution from one to another based on current requirements. You should certainly consider checking out the project’s GitHub repository here https://github.com/Saikarthik-Ramakrishnan/darwin-board/tree/main to try out the mutating circuit itself. While this project might complicate what is normally fairly simple, there is sometimes beauty in simplicity. So why not use a comically simple circuit https://hackaday.com/2025/08/11/compliant-contacts-hacking-door-locks-with-pen-springs/ for a smart home feature?