Abstract
Swarm intelligence has been applied to form-finding methodologies in architectural design, with Processing as one of the most important working platforms deployed. With swarm intelligence feedback is one of the core issues to deal with as this is where complexity emerges and the potential of this methodology becomes manifest. However, with Processing only limited feedback can be achieved as true swarm intelligence involves other incalculable and nonlinear factors, such as stigmergy, that requires a deep relationship not only with other agents but also with the broad background condition. As such, we need to draw a distinction between computational and non-computational complexity, and to recognise the limitations of computational complexity. Processing therefore offers us only a computational and therefore a limited model for understanding swarm intelligence.
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- 1.
Mitchell [1].
- 2.
Kokkugia was an experimental architecture research practice led by Roland Snooks and Robert Stuart-Smith, mainly exploring generative design methodologies developed from the complex self-organising behavior of biological, social and material systems. Available at: https://www.kokkugia.com/about.
- 3.
Processing is a software initiated by CEB Reas and Ben Fry.
- 4.
Snooks [2, p. 16].
- 5.
Leach and Snooks [3, pp. 91–92].
- 6.
Snooks [2, p. 101].
- 7.
Johnson [4].
- 8.
Leach and Snooks [3, pp. 95–96].
- 9.
Johnson [4, p. 206].
- 10.
Werfel et al. [5].
- 11.
Kelly [6].
- 12.
Leach and Snooks [3, p. 127].
- 13.
Snooks [2, p. 57].
- 14.
lbid, p. 101.
- 15.
Leach and Snooks [3, p. 124].
- 16.
Op. Cit, p. 127.
- 17.
lbid.
- 18.
Sitti [7].
- 19.
Leach and Snooks [3, pp. 101–105].
- 20.
lbid, p. 103.
- 21.
Garnier et al. [8].
- 22.
Snooks [2, p. 191].
- 23.
Leach and Snooks [3, p. 19].
- 24.
Johnson [4, p. 77].
- 25.
Op. Cit, p. 206.
- 26.
Leach and Snooks [3, p. 96].
- 27.
Johnson [4, p. 137].
- 28.
Available at BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47555588 How swarming drones will change warfare. Cited 31 Mar 2019.
- 29.
Leach and Snooks [3, p. 96].
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Zhao, B. (2020). Why Processing is Not Swarm Intelligence. In: Yuan, P., Xie, Y., Yao, J., Yan, C. (eds) Proceedings of the 2019 DigitalFUTURES . CDRF 2019. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8153-9_23
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