Inspiration: Generative Cretaceous Orchestra
I am not really sure if this Colony Evolver project intends to be science, or art, or what. But it is clear that certain projects made by other people are very similar and exciting. Perhaps these other projects will help clear up what category this one falls into.
One such creation is described in this article about the generative design of creature sounds. A quick summary: the computer game no man’s sky contains many planets populated with a variety of creatures. Many aspects of the game are generative, which allows for a very large number of planets, each with unique terrain, creatures etc. Because the body plans of creatures are generative, the game designers decided to have the creature sounds be generative as well. The article desribes how this was done with a simulated vocal cord, resonating chamber, and mouth. A sound expert used the simulated system to make noises for archetypal creatures. It appears that these archetype sounds were modulated to fit the bodies of newly generated creatures.
You can listen to a bunch of the creatures here. What I find intriguing about this is that it certainly sounds like our idea of a swampy dinosour-inhabited ecosystem, but you can still hear hints of computer-originated noise. The bird chirps sound vaguely electronic.
For me the generative work that creates artifacts which lie on the edge between familiar and strange are the most intruguing. I am glad the bird-like chirps are slightly computer-ish. Sure, an amazing model can be created that fools the senses, but if that is the goal I would much rather experience the real thing embedded in the richness of reality.
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