Butterfly Simulation/ 夢蝶原型 (Prototype)
Neurofeedback gameplay recording, EEG headset, BCI, Unreal Engine, Learning Agents (RL system), 3D Butterfly
Watch project walkthrough video here
Butterfly Simulation (Prototype)" materializes butterflies through EEG, allowing behaviors to traverse screens and enter into Unreal Engine space. It also asks players and viewers alike to consider within: Are you the subject? or the pawn?
The prototype is at once a dream and a simulation, placing players in the roles of NPCs within an HDRI space inspired by Li Chi Tak’s drawings. .
In 2024, Swiss start-up FinalSpark introduced DishBrain, in which brain cells living in a petri dish can perform goal-directed tasks, such as to play the computer game Pongor or to navigate a 3D environment embodied as a virtual butterfly. This has been a reality check for me, prompting me to reconsider the parable of the butterfly by Zhuangzi.
Are we dreaming of butterflies, or are the butterflies messing with our minds? When brain waves become our interface through which we navigate game worlds, and when simulated reinforcement learning agents begin to mimic human brain (electrical) behavior, do they start to become autonomous? “Butterfly Simulation (Prototype)” is an exploration of this multi-layered simulation.
In the near future, this work will continually develop into complex multi-agent simulations using Cortical Labs API to connect with living neurons.
Project part of Knowless: The Metamorphosis
July 26 - Aug 24 2025 at Wyndham Social Hong Kong
Curated by GayBird Leung and Vanissa Law
Produced by Machine Art NOW & Alice Wong
Other exhibiting artists: GayBird Leung, Jason Lam, Mick Yip, Jenn Leung
July 26 - Aug 24 2025 at Wyndham Social Hong Kong
Curated by GayBird Leung and Vanissa Law
Produced by Machine Art NOW & Alice Wong
Other exhibiting artists: GayBird Leung, Jason Lam, Mick Yip, Jenn Leung