Emergence of L-Cellular
Morphogenesis
Emergence de la morphogenèse L-cellulaire
Alain Lioret.
Arts et
Technologies de l?Image. Universit預aris VIII.
e-mail:
lioretalain@hotmail.com
Abstract
What's happen when
cellular automatas meet L-Systems? This paper proposes several methods of
implementations combining the rules of construction of cellular machines and
L-Systems, with genetic, neuronal network, couplings up, translations of codes.
These methods result in the morphogenesis of bodies, as well for their structure
(shape) as for their functional aspect (neuronal network with driving, sensory
neurones, balance, etc.).
Introduction
For a very long time, the
artists were inspired by forms of the nature to create works. Without going back
up to the myths of the antiquity, we can quote notably the fundamental influence
of Odilon Redon, in his series of pictures " Les Origines " [ 1 ] which already
presents in 1883 some hybrid and surprising creatures. Also, Goethe likes the
biology and more particularly the very particular theory of evolution of plants,
with its work ?La M鴡morphose des plantes?. [2]. These works are moreover going
to inspire the fundamental publications in this domain of Ernst Haeckel [ 3 ]
(see figure 1) which is going to give the main lines of forms of the nature in
the art, followed a short time later by authors as Martin Gerlach and Karl
Blossfeldt [ 4 ].
Figure.1
Aspidonia. ? Ernst Haeckel.
The currents based on the biomorphism and the
biocentrism follow (a period which extends approximately the 30s in the 60s),
with the intervention of some major artists of whom Hans Arp, Max Ernst, Paul
Klee, Pavel Filonov, Kazimir Malevich, as well as French Jean Fautrier, Brassai,
and Wols. [5]. It will be followed by the movement Eco-Art of the
60s.
More recently, with the arrival of the computer as
the working tool for the artists, creators' new generation appeared. After the
fascinating discovery of fractals by BenoMandelbrot [ 6 ], new perspectives of
the nature are born. Then, it is then the " breeders of art ? that use
evolutionists techniques of Darwin, adapted by Richard Dawkins [ 7 ] and his
famous biomorphs.
Among the artists the most known in this category,
let us quote, William Latham [ 8 ], Karl Sims [ 9 ], Steven Rooke [ 10 ] and
Jeffrey Ventrella [ 11 ]. They are next at the same time to artists who use
evolutionists or connectionists techniques to create beings endowed with
artificial life.
This last one is an emergent domain in the years
80/90, and is exactly situated on the border of the sciences and the art, on the
heart of problems connecting creativity and cognition. We can quote notably the
works of Yoichiro Kawaguchi [ 12 ] or Michel Bret [ 13 ] (see figure 2) which
breathe an art nouveau, where the morphogenesis is used without being really
quoted: the new forms of the life such as she could be make their
appearance.
Figure 2 : Hybrid
Creature
created by Michel Bret
1. Cellular Machines
In the vast field of tools implemented by the
applications of the artificial intelligence, the cellular machines are a part of
the first ones to appear, notably with the famous game of life proposed by
Conway [ 14 ]. Tools abound and the models of cellular machines diversify with
great names which strangely advance the domain, as Stefen Wolfram, with its work
? The New Kind Of Science ? [15].
Naturally, certain number of artists bends over their
use and try to bring to the foreground it of new styles of works. Let us quote
for example, Paul Brown [ 16 ] naturally, who is interested in this domain dices
the 70s, but also Scott Draves [ 17 ], Erwin Driessens and Maria Verstappen who
take out of real 3D constructions? [18 ]
and Matthew Fuller who introduced the group Human Cellular Automaton
[ 19 ].
2. L-Systems
At the same time another shape of language which is
going to serve the intentions of news morphogenesis is invented by Lindemmayer [
20 ]: it is L-Systems which allow to generate forms, in particular plants from
recursively grammars. The results obtained with this type of techniques are
excellent and obviously the artists, as Laurent Mignonneau and Christa Sommerer
[ 21 ], Christian Jacob [ 22 ] among others are interested in these new modes of
expressions, by coupling them very often with evolutionists algorithms to get
closer some more to theories of Darwin, as proposes it Christian Jacob in
combination with L-Systems.
3. Morphogenesis
We shall not return in this article on the impressive
literature which exists in the definition of the techniques of morphogenesis.
Let us quote simply the inspiration that we were able to pull works of
D' Arcy Thompson [ 23 ] (see figure 3) and Rupert Sheldrake [ 24 ], thanks
to his innovative theories on the ? formative?
causality ? and " morphogenetic fields ? and the works of which are
inescapable on the subject. The morphogenesis is a fascinating subject which
brings big not yet resolute questions, it is a ground of magnificent experiment
for the artists and the works presented here go to this
direction.
Figure
3 :Morphogenesis by D?Arcy Thompson
4. Structure And Functional Aspect
Our comment does not however amount to researches on
the structural morphogenesis only. Indeed, if the shape, and thus the aspect of
the body are necessarily one of our major concerns, as artist presenting images,
we are interested just as much in the functional aspect of the engendered
creatures, which in our sense cannot be separated from the structural aspect.
It is moreover this difference which is very too
present in the current realizations (the 3D characters, the first virtual
actors), the visual aspect of which is already pushed to a very high degree, and
even until photo realism. On the other hand, the functional part of the new
creatures semi intelligent is there for the moment only at the experimental
stage. It is true that mechanism of the life are so complex, that we are obliged
to agree the use of simplified models, as that of the autopoiesis proposed by
Maturana and Varela [ 25 ].
5. L-Systems With Cellular Machines
The originality of this work rests essentially on a
use coupled by the cellular machines and the L-Systems. This experimental
research ensues from a simple report: all the systems proposing realizations of
virtual creatures (vegetable or animal) start generally at the stage of the
assembly of components already realized, as the famous blocks or the sticks
which we meet in the works of Sims (see figure 4), of creation of Golems, the
software Framsticks (that we use in our works), etc.
The stage of development corresponding to the
molecular chemistry is systematically jumped, what in our sense cannot help in
the understanding of an original development.
Nobody having this day all the answers necessary for
the development of the life, vegetable or animal, we can allow themselves as
artist (unmistakable advantage on the scientists forced to prove what they
advance) to experiment in new directions and show the results of hybrid
creations.
Figure
4 : Galapagos. ? Karl Sims
So, several methods of coupling up of the cellular
machines with L-Systems are proposed. We quote here only those who began to give
interesting results but many others are possible. The principle in every case is
to use the rules of generation of cellular machines as function of chemical
process, thus occurring in various stages of the physical
morphogenesis.
Method 1: creation of whole landscapes with the
cellular laws. This method consists simply in covering(marking out in squares) a
3D ground, and in using rules of cellular machines to place seeds of L-Systems
which are thus going to survive and to be born according to very precise plans.
Several levels of complexity are studied, according to the forms of used rules.
The simplest are based on couples of vectors Survival / birth, on which we can
grow variety of L-Systems in the places where the life is possible. More complex
rules, with parameters of evolution of machines can even influence the grammars
L-Systems which modify according to these parameters (for example states,
generations, etc.) (see figure 5).
Figure 5.
A
cellular machine applied to the shoot of vegetation on a
ground.
Method 2: form L-Systems modified by cellular
machines. In that case, it is a question of using the cellular machines as
generator of rules used in every recursive stage of the construction of
L-System. That is that besides the usual grammatical rules used in these systems
(among whom F to draw branches), we add the use of rules (A, B, C, etc.) which
are in fact rules of classic cellular machines. So, in every new stage of the
processes of creation, the cellular rules apply to the shoot of new branches /
sheets / segments, according to the principles of survival and birth. This a
little more complex method to be implemented presents the advantage to result in
less predictable creations and thus more natural.
Method 3: genetic Coupling up of the rules of
L-Systems with the rules of cellular machines. This method is possible only with
certain forms of rules of machines (there are numerous variants there, we based
ourselves on those presented in Mcell, the software of Mirek Wojtowicz [26]).
Here, as well the rule L-Systems as the cellular rules are considered as
phenotypes, and genotypes are built on the basis of binary multi parameterised
coding. Even there, surprising results are obtained, even if a scientific
justification of such a process is excessively difficult to operate. But, after
all, the morphogenesis is indeed a very complex process which can be made only
by combining in a very narrow way chemical reactions with physical evolutions
(see figure 6).
Figure 6 : a creature
plants created with the method 3
6. Cellular Morphogenesis
Besides, our researches also led us towards other
uses of the cellular machines for the morphogenesis. So, in the same way as we
used the rules of cellular machines to generate vegetation, we have them to
apply to the construction of elementary forms, from Metaballs (or blobs). This
very simple method allows to obtain various base forms, which we can consider
either as members of the future creatures (for the structural aspect), or as
functional organs of these creatures (muscles, sensory neurons for the touch,
the smell, the sight, the search for balance, etc.).
The forms used as members are the simplest to
generate and are build from basic rules of survival and birth of what we can
consider as the essential cells of the alive bodies. Those created for the
functional aspect can be generated only with rules more evolved in machines. To
note that evolutionists experiments on populations of cellular machines were
also used for this process.
7. L-System Morphogenesis
In the same order of idea, the grammatical
rules of L-Systems were used to create creatures, vegetable or animal (not shall
say rather about animat type), as for their structural aspect. This type of
creation rather classic did not bring very innovative tracks in our system of
creation, but to complete the organized realizations. It was especially one of
the stages of test for the neuronal co-evolution applied to creatures, realized
mainly with the software Framsticks. [27].
8. Neuronal Coevolution
One of the very important stages of our
study on the morphogenesis takes place within the software Framsticks. It is
about a simulator of artificial life very evolved and programmable, which allows
to realize any sorts of experiments. We thus have it includes in our pipeline of
realization to develop creatures, at the same moment in their structural aspect
and especially in
their functional aspect
(network of neurons) (see figure 7).
Different populations of creatures
realized with the various described methods higher were subjected to the
evolutionist system of Framsticks. With various established criteria (speed,
balance or simply aesthetics) we mimed the processes of large-scale evolution,
what allowed to obtain original, autonomous creatures in their behavior, and
capable of beings used for different basic tasks: run, catch a prey, run away,
etc., and even dance!
Figure 7 :
An
evolved creature stemming from the process of creation
9. Realizations
From this creative plan, it is possible to
take out various types of works, which are three types: fixed images,
pre-calculated full of life images, real-time full of life images. Only this
last category can really report the functional aspect of creatures, even if the
quality of the real-time depiction does not allow to appreciate totally the
structural quality which can be implemented with this system. It is for it that
we also realized calculated works, with various types of depiction, to take
advantage of a completely interesting pictorial morphogenesis.
Notably, we made certain trial number with
methods of non photo realistic rendering, according to the principles exposed by
Aaron Hertzman [ 28 ] for the video painting. Among the obtained realizations,
these present the advantage to supply new styles of alive paintings, self
organized and to create original pictures directly stemming from the artificial
life (see figure 8). Furthermore, this method of work results naturally in new
aesthetics of the movement, as described in [29].
?
Figure 8 :
Another
creature made with a non photo realistic technique, alive
painting.
Conclusion
The originality of this system lies in the
combination of techniques presented to build models of new morphogenesis. The
rules of cellular machines and L-Systems had still never been used in this way.
The main purpose was here to supply "patterns" of creation of life such as she
could be, as describes it very well Fritjof Capra, in its work, the Web of the
Life [ 30 ]. On the other hand, the opening of the system allows to obtain very
different results of a visual point of view, what leaves to the artist the
choice of a particular aesthetics, to present fixed or full of life images, even
real-time.
Acknowledgments
I am more particularly anxious to thank
Michel Bret for the inspiration that he my supplied and who allowed to see
succeeding this work, as well as all the team of ?Arts et Technologies de
l?Image? (Universit預aris 8) among which the enthusiasm and the creativity are
precious.
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