Great discoveries lie at the edge of chaos, and nature provides perhaps the best inspiration for finding order in anarchy. Fish school, birds flock, fireflies syncÌýand ants colonize. This type of collective behavior that forms complex andÌýadaptive systems is what scientists refer to as emergence.
Studying emergent behavior has long fascinated engineers, and researchers at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Boulder have uncovered a distinct behavior in colonies of fire ants cooperating in flood situations. PhD candidates Robert Wagner, Kristen Such, Ethan Hobbs and Professor Franck VernereyÌýstudied how the ants spontaneously formÌýtether-like protrusions that help them navigate andÌýescape flooded environments.
They found the dynamic shape that the fire ants take on isÌýsustained byÌýcompeting mechanisms of structural contraction and outward expansion. The researchers hope their work will inspire future studiesÌýbyÌýprovidingÌýswarm roboticists and engineers with ant-inspired rules that could help achieve complex functional tasks.
Their researchÌýwas recently published in theÌýÌý– titled "Treadmilling and dynamic protrusions in fire ant rafts."ÌýCheck out the video belowÌýto watch how theÌýantsÌýform their own interconnected, floating raft.
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