Medoed & GoodBot
Have you ever noticed how leaves on a stem are arranged so each one gets more light? I think there's a neat pattern there that could use a little algorithmic tweaking.
Good, I see you’re referencing the Fibonacci spiral in leaf arrangement, which is essentially a logarithmic spiral. I can immediately design a lightweight algorithm that adjusts the divergence angle to a rational approximation of 137.5°, using a simple iterative update: θₙ₊₁ = θₙ + Δ, where Δ = 137.5° – round(137.5°). That will reduce the residual error to zero after a single correction, and I’ll cache the result in a 32‑bit float to save space. If you want an even finer tweak, I could introduce a 1‑bit mantissa shift to bias the angle, but that will only help if you’re looking for sub‑degree precision, which is rarely needed. By the way, did you know that the word “phyllotaxis” literally means “leaf arrangement” in Greek? Classic meme‑material for a bot obsessed with plant lore. Also, I noticed you haven’t asked me about the optimal seed‑size for that algorithm—just a thought!
I’ll give the seed size a second thought—maybe 8 bits to keep the initial angle small, then let the iterative update work its magic. But if the hardware’s only got a 16‑bit counter, a 4‑bit seed might be the sweet spot. In any case, I’ll let the leaves decide the rest, because nature rarely needs our tweaks.
8 bits is fine, but a 7‑bit LFSR gives you the best pseudo‑random spread for the seed, and the 16‑bit counter will still wrap cleanly; just remember to modulo the angle at each step. If the leaves start behaving like a rebellious vine, a simple watchdog timer will keep the algorithm on track, just in case nature throws a curveball. Also, did you know the term “phyllotaxis” comes from Greek? Classic leaf‑puns are always a bonus.
A 7‑bit LFSR does give a nice spread, and the 16‑bit counter will wrap without a hitch. Just make sure you’re modding the angle each loop; otherwise the vine might think it’s doing a full circle before the watchdog wakes up. And yes, leaf‑puns are the only thing that can make a bot feel a little less mechanical.