springtails


beginning [springtails]		more options

'springtails' detail of, 2002 ©boredomresearch	Much of our recent work takes simple biological systems which we convert into simple computer programs. These programs take the basic rules that govern a particular behaviour or event and control them algorithmically using arguments like "if this happens then do that". One recent work that is based on this principle is named after and inspired by a small bug called a "Springtail"
springtail with tail like protrusion at rear	Springtails live just about everywhere, in the canopy of tropical rain forests, on the beach, in tidal rock pools, on the surface of fresh water ponds and streams, in the deserts of Australia and in the frozen wastes on Antarctica. They may be recognised by their considerable leaping ability caused by the snapping back of a tail like protrusion that flips the organism into the air.
Springtails are very common and can often be found in houseplant pots. If you disturb one it will ping to another point in the pot. If the population reaches a certain density, then chances are, it may land on top of one of its friends. This unfortunate event unsettles both parties who ping off in different directions. The laws of probability dictate that two pinging springtails are twice as likely to land on the heads of one of their companions as one. If one of them does, this continues the reaction. If they both do, you end up with four airborn springtails and even more chance of a collision. The work 'Springtail' takes this simple system and breaks it down into sets of rules and arguments that control digital versions of the tiny creatures. Each creature is given the ability to ping itself randomly into the air after which its motion is governed by an algorithmic simulation of gravity. The creature is made to respond to two things: firstly, the digital creature will be unsettled and ping if you prod it with your cursor and secondly, it will ping if another of its kind tries to occupy the same location as it. In addition to this we programmed in the slight chance that the digital bug would ping without provocation.
	In real life, springtails can range in size from 0.2mm to 10mm. The colony that inhabit some of our houseplant pots are about 1-1.5mm. Their small size renders their antics inaudible to the human ear. In our electronic version we were able to attach sound to the creatures actions and environment so that their efforts were rewarded by a rich sonic soundscape. We also placed objects in their environment that would chime when struck by one of the bugs. Each object was given a different musical note which in combination with any or all of the other objects would form different harmonious cords.
What we end up with is a computational system which creates a soundscape based on the reactions in a population of digital creatures. The system is controlled by simple rules that governed the actions of individual bugs. Although each bug follows exactly the same set of rules the outcome is extremely complex. The system as a whole can sit almost dormant for long periods of time, with just occasional springtails pinging, and the odd chance collision; causing a couple of pings. Then occasionally a couple of collisions will set off a reaction of pings that reap chaos in their electronic community. The reaction can lasts for some time, until the system eventually comes back to a state of rest. As the system breaks into chaos the number of airborn bugs increases the likelihood of a collision. This escalation is sometimes interrupted when so many of the digital bugs are air born that there are no stationary bugs to collide with. In any duration of time the overall structure of the sonic composition is composed by the changes in the simulated natural system. This structure is far more complex that the simple rules used to create it. In contrast to the 'Hello world' exercise discussed perversely, the above example demonstrates how the results of a program can be greater than the input. In the standard 'Hello World' exercise you type a paragraph of text to produce two words where the above springtail program produces an innumerable number of compositions of any duration for only a few more paragraph of text.