Self-Assembled Army Ant Constructions
My first real scientific research experience was with an REU at Harvard University where I joined a robotics lab focused on swarm robotics to learn more about the construction of Army Ant Bridges.
Army Ant Bridges:
Mentor: Dr. Helen McCreery
PI: Dr. Radhika Nagpal
Harvard University: Self-Organizing Systems Research Group
Eciton hamatum, commonly known as army ants, are impressively able to self-assemble. These nomadic ants form bridges that allow them to span gaps and widen paths in the terrain of their intensive foraging trails. Our research is conducted to learn more about the self-organizing behavior in ants. Specifically, we are interested in how collective bridges adapt to terrain disturbance and how this mechanism is implemented at the individual level. This research provides insight that can be implemented into algorithms on bio-inspired swarm robotics.