Open-Technology Research Tool
Experimental System
Synch.Live v1.0 is a novel, open-technology, experimental framework for research on human collective behavior. The system tracks player positions, computes an emergence value in real time, and sends information to the hats. The hat lights are programmed to become less random as the group becomes more emergent and finally, to flash synchronously if the group can figure out how to move like a flock. Our system is the first to demonstrate that people can aggregate in flock-like behavior, without a leader.
Measuring Emergence
Synch.Live uses an algorithm developed by scientific advisors’ Fernando Rosas, Pedro Mediano, and Daniel Bor, with colleagues, to calculate the emergence value. The algorithm analyzes specific macro and micro properties of the system and then calculates how well they predict the movement of the group. If the macro is more predictive, it means the group is moving "as one" in a way that cannot be explained by the movement of individual players. That is, individuals are not just moving independently, but in a way that shows cooperation, mutual adjustment, and collective behavior.
The Data
The Synch.Live system collects anonymized tracking data for artistic, social and scientific benefit. The data has much to teach researchers about how human groups cooperate, solve conflicts and build teams. It is also beautiful: a gestural, abstract map of human activity.
Ongoing Research
Higher connectedness
Synch.Live scientists found that members of successful groups showed higher connectedness to others, suggesting that flock-like collective movement promotes social cohesion and cooperation. Participants who were more aware of working strategies were significantly more likely to succeed, suggesting that individual awareness and individual contributions enhance collective problem solving.
Emergence is beautiful
We asked 44 people to rate 10 second clips of Synch.Live gameplay for beauty; subjects rated trajectories with higher emergence values as significantly more beautiful, suggesting a link between the quantitative theory of emergence and the qualitative aesthetic aspect of flocking. A follow up study asked subjects to rate the clips as more or less patterned. The more emergent, the more patterned, the more beautiful! (Paper forthcoming.)