Self-Assembly and Synchronization: Crafting Music with Multi-Agent Embodied Oscillators

This paper proposes a self-assembly algorithm that generates rhythmic music. It uses multiple pulsed oscillators embedded in cube-shaped agents in a virtual 3D space. When these units connect with each other, their oscillators synchronize, triggering regular sound events that produce musical notes whose sound dynamics change based on the size of the structures formed. This study examines the synchronization time of these oscillators and the emergent properties of the structures formed during the algorithm’s execution. Moreover, the resulting sound, determined by multiple interactions among agents, is analyzed in the time and frequency domains from its signal. The results show that the synchronization time slightly increases when more agents participate, although with high variability. Also, a quasi-regular pattern of increase and decrease in the number of structures over time is observed. Additionally, the signal analysis illustrates the effect of the self-assembly strategy in terms of rhythmical patterns and sound energy over time. We discuss these results and the potential applications of this multi-agent approach in the sound and music field.