Heterogenesis is an interactive sound and tactile environment consisting of a group of autonomous artificial life agents that collectively form a rudimentary artificial neural network. The agents, taking the form of long pillar-like sculptures, generate and evolve a soundscape in response to one another and to the presence of human participants. They respond in three ways: (1) by altering their generated sounds, (2) by communicating with one another so as to “warn” of human presence nearby, and (3) by producing an inaudible acoustic pressure field that "pushes" participants as they approach. Heterogenesis seeks to manifest emergent behavior through the complex interactions of autonomous systems — both human and machine.

Each agent/sculpture is embedded with electronics that enable it to respond to its sonic environment, interact with human participants and communicate with other nearby agents. Sonic complexity emerges through a network of interactions and communication among humans and machines. A typical participant experience would be of a multichannel sound environment where if successful, would be characterized by simultaneously observed and induced complexity and emergence.

The term “heterogenesis” refers to diversity or to “make different”. This piece represents an investigation into how humans and machines may enact such difference.