A Computational Environment For The Evolutionary Sound Synthesis Of Birdsongs

Birdsongs are an integral part of many natural environments. They constitute an ecological network of sonic agents whose interaction is self-organized into an open complex system of similar cognitive characteristics, at the same time that it continuously generates original acoustic data. This work presents a preliminary study on the development of an evolutionary algorithm for the generation of an artificial soundscape of birdsongs. This computational environment is created by genetic operators that dynamically generate sequences of control parameters for computational models of birdsongs, given by the physical model of a syrinx. This system is capable of emulating a wide range of realistic birdsongs and generating with them a network of bird calls. The result here presented is an artificial evolutionary soundscape that is also interactive, as it can receive external data, such as from instant text messages like the ones from the micro-blog Twitter, and map them as the genotype of new individuals belonging to a dynamic population of artificial birdsongs. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.7247 LNCS96107University of Malaga, School of Computer Science,University of Malaga, School of Telecommunications,Malaga Convention BureauAllison, J.D., Birdsong and Human Speech: Common Themes and Mechanisms (1999) Neuroscience, 22, pp. 567-631Clarke, J.A., Morphology, Phylogenetic Taxonomy, and Systematics of Ichthyornis and Apatornis (Avialae: Ornithurae) (2004) Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 286, pp. 1-179Dorsey, J., Twitter creator Jack Dorsey illuminates the site's founding document (2009) LA Times, , http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/02/twitter-creator.html, David Sarno February 18, (accessed May 17, 2010)Eiben, A.E., Smith, J.E., (2007) Introduction to Evolutionary Computing, , 2nd edn. Springer Natural Computing SeriesFarnell, A., (2010) Designing Sound, , MIT Press, CambridgeFornari, J., Maia, A., Manzolli, J., Soundscape Design Through Evolutionary Engines (2008) Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society, 14 (3), pp. 51-64Fornari, J., Shellard, M., Manzolli, J., Creating soundscapes with gestural evolutionary time. Article and presentation SBCM - Brazilian Symposium on Computer Music (2009)Holland, J., Studying Complex Adaptive Systems (2006) Journal of Systems Science and Complexity, 19 (1), pp. 1-8Manzolli, J., Shellard, M.C., Oliveira, L.F., Fornari, J., Abduction and Meaning in Evolutionary Soundscapes (2010) 01/2010, Científico Internacional, Model-based Reasoning in Science and Technology - Abduction, Logic, and Computational Discovery (MBR BRAZIL), Campinas, SP, Brasil, 1, pp. 407-428Manzolli, J., Verschure, P., Robots: A real-world composition system (2005) Computer Music Journal, 29 (3), pp. 55-74Mikelson, H., Bird calls (2000) Csound Magazine, , WinterMoroni, A., Manzolli, J., Von Zuben, F., Gudwin, R., Vox populi: An interactive evolutionary system for algorithmic music composition (2000) Leonardo Music Journal, 10, pp. 49-54Larsen, O.N., Goller, F., Role of Syringeal vibrations in bird vocalizations (1999) The Royal Society, 266, pp. 1609-1615Schafer, M.R., The soundscape: Our sonic environment and the soundscape (1977) Destiny Books, , ISBN 0-89281-455-1Wiener, N., (1968) Cybernetics and Society: The Human Use of Human Beings, , Cultrix, New Yor