Parameter, Algorithm and Nature

An immersive installation blending interactive generative animation, robotics, and electroacoustic sound, using industrial robots to bridge physical and digital realms.




In the digital era, programming has become an indispensable language and a medium for creative expression. The ability to master the operational mechanisms of programming can revolutionize the form of creation, bringing deconstructive breakthroughs. In the work "Parameter, Algorithm, and Nature," we harness the power of parameters and algorithms within programming to develop biomimetic forms and mimic natural behaviors. This project explores the dialogue between the physical world through a robot and the virtual world of animation, synchronizing electroacoustic imagery and the behavior of a robotic arm.

This work redefines our interaction with the visual arts world through programming languages. The underlying mechanisms, strokes, and layers in generative graphical art create a new visual expression. By manipulating structured parameters, algorithm with rules, we generate dynamic time-based animations. The fusion of physical dynamics and virtual biomimetic forms in this project opens up new avenues of thought.


In the "Dandelion Morphing Section," exploring growing morphologies of dandelion-like patterns generated by using computational mechanisms of symmetry, self-organization, recursion and fractal for present growth graphics based on a mass of overlapping lines. The project employs grid computation mechanisms to influence the binary tree structures. This section showcases how programming recursive rules of symmetry are encoded into a fractal tree algorithm, altering the geometric description of leaves and branches. The parameters and proportions between these elements result in diverse and complex morphologies. When stimulated by the robotic arm's laser point, the installation displays natural or biomimetic rhythmic visual responses.


“Similarly, the "Swarm Movement Section" uses a local communication mechanism on specific triangular grids, reminiscent of a cellular automata machine, to make "feathers" perform distributed behaviors. These behaviors are triggered by the data flow on each grid. Simplifying the interaction, the installation incorporates an industrial robot equipped with a laser light point, engaging subtly with the screen to stimulate these dynamic behaviors. This process leads to the generation of swarm behavior animations, effectively demonstrating the use of triangular grid computing to create visually engaging movements. The visual representation in this section is characterized by its innovative approach to composition, presenting time-based animations with an abstract flair. This portrayal in digital media offers an autonomous interpretation of temporal and compositional elements, showcasing a fresh dynamic aesthetic.


Overall, "Parameter, Algorithm, and Nature" is a testament to the intertwined relationship between technology and nature. It illustrates how digital tools and computational techniques can be used to emulate and extend the complexities of natural processes and forms. By blending robotic precision with organic fluidity, the installation invites viewers to reconsider the boundaries between the artificial and the natural, technology and biology, and to contemplate the evolving role of programming as a language in the realm of artistic creation.


In performance, Installation place in high-definition 8K resolution projecting area, allowing viewers to observe tens of thousands of intricate line details generated by the artwork's derivative system. For interaction, We build a robotic arm hold a laser pointer will cast light spots on the screen, triggering virtual branches for interaction. Robotic arm's choreographed movements with background music and animated derivations of the artwork. The performance is set to last between 5-10 minutes, commencing with the Sensitive Floral's own growth narrative: from a single iteration, unfolding into a blooming dynamic, to diversifying into different life-form variations. The camera narative will gradually zoom in to feature the unique growth textures of the Sensitive Floral, showcasing the aesthetics of computational beauty. During this narrative development, the robotic arm disturbance as a mischievous human, playfully interacting with the artwork (as human play with Mimosa plant). The external stimulation from the laser, alongside the adaptive movements prompted by the internal grid computing system, culminates in an emergent, organic collective movement that adds a new dimension to the animated aesthetics. Content in this video was collaboration with: WANG Shih-Yuan (Creative Robotics) YANG Yi-Ping (Music), James GIROUDON (Music)





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該作品使用工業機器人結合360度環場投影的音像藝術,將機械手臂與虛擬影像同步互動,發展跨領域科技藝術表演。在蒲公英圖像表現的部分,藝術家運用數學對稱性、歸遞機制、碎形樹等邏輯,發展蒲公英仿生圖形的生長形態與開花的意象表現。在群體運動的部分,機械手臂透過工業化的機械動態,指揮著雷射光筆的指向與投射,與衍生藝術動畫即時通訊互動。藉由細胞自動機(cellular automata)的資訊傳遞機制,產生仿生性的群體運動效果,使得數以萬計的線條在交互重疊的視覺表現下,時以交互排斥、時以相互漣漪作用著的運動,表現凍結時空般的流體運動。在由生成規則和演算法產生的衍生動畫,與機械手臂精密機械又華麗的運動,以及詭異的電子聲響音樂背景中,展現了一種無違和感的人造自然場景。





All images and videos courtesy Scottie Chih-Chieh Huang and The NTHU BioLogicDesign.