PSP: Flocking Boids

For our “Console Development” module in the second year of my university degree, we had to produce a tech-demo for the Sony PlayStation Portable using industry-standard development kits.

I wrote a “flocking” algorithm in C, optimised to use the PSP’s VFPU (Vector Floating Point Unit) for increased performance with inline MIPS Assembly. The boids have a simple 3D wireframe mesh, but their movement is limited to a 2D plane. My coursework was awarded with a “B-” grade.

The algorithm is based on Craig Reynolds‘ steering behaviours, a widely published article from GDC 1999. Here’s a video of it in action, recorded directly from the VGA output of the development kit:

Read on for the details of this project.