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Sounds synthesis with slime mould of Physarum Polycephalum

Miranda, Eduardo R.; Adamatzky, Andrew; Jones, Jeff

Authors

Eduardo R. Miranda

Jeff Jones



Abstract

This paper introduces a novel application of bionic engineering: a bionic musical instrument using Physarum polycephalum. Physarum polycephalum is a huge single cell with thousands of nuclei, which behaves like a giant amoeba. During its foraging behavior this plasmodium produces electrical activity corresponding to different physiological states. We developed a method to render sounds from such electrical activity and thus represent spatio-temporal behavior of slime mould in a form apprehended auditorily. The electrical activity is captured by various electrodes placed on a Petri dish containing the cultured slime mold. Sounds are synthesized by a bank of parallel sinusoidal oscillators connected to the electrodes. Each electrode is responsible for one partial of the spectrum of the resulting sound. The behavior of the slime mould can be controlled to produce different timbres. © 2011 Jilin University.

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jun 1, 2011
Deposit Date Aug 25, 2015
Journal Journal of Bionic Engineering
Print ISSN 1672-6529
Publisher Springer (part of Springer Nature)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 8
Issue 2
Pages 107-113
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529%2811%2960016-4
Keywords Physarum polycephalum, bionic musical instrument, unconventional computing, sound synthesis, sonification
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/962094
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529(11)60016-4
Contract Date Apr 7, 2016