In Figuro

Video 9'21"

Keywords: Biomimetics, Artificial life, Emergence.

“In Figuro” is a short movie about the virtual study of an intriguing kind of form of life. Some virtual tools, such as an optical microscope, a temperature regulator, an electrical current inductor, are used to explore the growth of a mathematical and algorithmic particle-based system. The simulation runs in real time, and the movie is the raw footage of a live record of the simulation, without any post-processing edits. This particle system is quite simple, yet it demonstrates some similarities with behaviors we can observe in the real world. These are only similarities, because this system does not exhibit all the rules required for a system from which life can emerge. Its study still remains interesting and shows how from simple rules can quite complexe and natural-looking patterns emerge.

“In Figuro” is a naïve introduction to artificial life, a field of study wherein researchers examine systems related to natural life, its processes, and its evolution through the use of artificial systems. What is life and what are the necessary conditions required for life to emerge out of a particle soup? If it looks like life, can it be considered as life? These are questions “In Figuro” tries to introduce to the unaware eye.

This piece runs in real-time, and was built on Touch Designer. The particle simulation is written for the graphic card to allow for a high number of particles. Prototypes of this piece were written with Processing and the source code, as well as some explanations, are available in an article on my blog.