1
|
Doering GN, Lee CL, Dalnoki-Veress K. Synchronized locomotion can improve spatial accessibility inside ant colonies. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231805. [PMID: 38018098 PMCID: PMC10685122 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Synchronization is a conspicuous form of collective behaviour that is of crucial importance in numerous biological systems. Ant colonies from the genera Leptothorax and Temnothorax form small colonies, typically made up of only a few hundred workers, and exhibit a form of synchronized behaviour where workers inside colonies' nests become active together in rhythmic cycles that have a period of approximately 20-200 min. However, it is not currently known if these synchronized rhythms of locomotion confer any functional benefit to colonies. By using a combination of multiple image analysis techniques, we show that inactive Leptothorax ants can act as immobile obstacles to moving ants, and that synchronized activity has the potential to reduce the likelihood that individual ants will encounter regions of immobile obstacles that impede access to portions of the nest. We demonstrate qualitatively similar findings using a computational model of confined active particles with oscillating activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen L. Lee
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kari Dalnoki-Veress
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chong B, He J, Soto D, Wang T, Irvine D, Blekherman G, Goldman DI. Multilegged matter transport: A framework for locomotion on noisy landscapes. Science 2023; 380:509-515. [PMID: 37141349 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade4985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Whereas the transport of matter by wheeled vehicles or legged robots can be guaranteed in engineered landscapes such as roads or rails, locomotion prediction in complex environments such as collapsed buildings or crop fields remains challenging. Inspired by the principles of information transmission, which allow signals to be reliably transmitted over "noisy" channels, we developed a "matter-transport" framework that demonstrates that noninertial locomotion can be provably generated over noisy rugose landscapes (heterogeneities on the scale of locomotor dimensions). Experiments confirm that sufficient spatial redundancy in the form of serially connected legged robots leads to reliable transport on such terrain without requiring sensing and control. Further analogies from communication theory coupled with advances in gaits (coding) and sensor-based feedback control (error detection and correction) can lead to agile locomotion in complex terradynamic regimes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baxi Chong
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 837 State St NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Juntao He
- Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Daniel Soto
- Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Daniel Irvine
- School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 686 Cherry St NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Grigoriy Blekherman
- School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 686 Cherry St NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Daniel I Goldman
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 837 State St NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Avinery R, Aina KO, Dyson CJ, Kuan HS, Betterton MD, Goodisman MAD, Goldman DI. Agitated ants: regulation and self-organization of incipient nest excavation via collisional cues. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220597. [PMID: 37194494 PMCID: PMC10189599 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are millimetres in scale yet collectively create metre-scale nests in diverse substrates. To discover principles by which ant collectives self-organize to excavate crowded, narrow tunnels, we studied incipient excavation in small groups of fire ants in quasi-two-dimensional arenas. Excavation rates displayed three stages: initially excavation occurred at a constant rate, followed by a rapid decay, and finally a slower decay scaling in time as t-1/2. We used a cellular automata model to understand such scaling and motivate how rate modulation emerges without global control. In the model, ants estimated their collision frequency with other ants, but otherwise did not communicate. To capture early excavation rates, we introduced the concept of 'agitation'-a tendency of individuals to avoid rest if collisions are frequent. The model reproduced the observed multi-stage excavation dynamics; analysis revealed how parameters affected features of multi-stage progression. Moreover, a scaling argument without ant-ant interactions captures tunnel growth power-law at long times. Our study demonstrates how individual ants may use local collisional cues to achieve functional global self-organization. Such contact-based decisions could be leveraged by other living and non-living collectives to perform tasks in confined and crowded environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ram Avinery
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kehinde O. Aina
- Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carl J. Dyson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hui-Shun Kuan
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel I. Goldman
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Khajehnejad M, García J, Meyer B. Explaining workers' inactivity in social colonies from first principles. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220808. [PMID: 36596450 PMCID: PMC9810424 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Social insects are among the ecologically most successful collectively living organisms, with efficient division of labour a key feature of this success. Surprisingly, these efficient colonies often have a large proportion of inactive workers in their workforce, sometimes referred to as lazy workers. The dominant hypotheses explaining this are based on specific life-history traits, specific behavioural features or uncertain environments where inactive workers can provide a 'reserve' workforce that can spring into action quickly. While there is a number of experimental studies that show and investigate the presence of inactive workers, mathematical and computational models exploring specific hypotheses are not common. Here, using a simple mathematical model, we show that a parsimonious hypothesis can explain this puzzling social phenomenon. Our model incorporates social interactions and environmental influences into a game-theoretical framework and captures how individuals react to environment by allocating their activity according to environmental conditions. This model shows that inactivity can emerge under specific environmental conditions as a by-product of the task allocation process. Our model confirms the empirical observation that in the case of worker loss, prior homeostatic balance is re-established by replacing some of the lost force with previously inactive workers. Most importantly, our model shows that inactivity in social colonies can be explained without the need to assume an adaptive function for this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moein Khajehnejad
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julian García
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bernd Meyer
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Studies of active matter-systems consisting of individuals or ensembles of internally driven and damped locomotors-are of interest to physicists studying nonequilibrium dynamics, biologists interested in individuals and swarm locomotion, and engineers designing robot controllers. While principles governing active systems on hard ground or within fluids are well studied, another class of systems exists at deformable interfaces. Such environments can display mixes of fluid-like and elastic features, leading to locomotor dynamics that are strongly influenced by the geometry of the surface, which, in itself, can be a dynamical entity. To gain insight into principles by which locomotors are influenced via a deformation field alone (and can influence other locomotors), we study robot locomotion on an elastic membrane, which we propose as a model of active systems on highly deformable interfaces. As our active agent, we use a differential driven wheeled robotic vehicle which drives straight on flat homogeneous surfaces, but reorients in response to environmental curvature. We monitor the curvature field-mediated dynamics of a single vehicle interacting with a fixed deformation as well as multiple vehicles interacting with each other via local deformations. Single vehicles display precessing orbits in centrally deformed environments, while multiple vehicles influence each other by local deformation fields. The active nature of the system facilitates a differential geometry-inspired mathematical mapping from the vehicle dynamics to those of test particles in a fictitious "spacetime," allowing further understanding of the dynamics and how to control agent interactions to facilitate or avoid multivehicle membrane-induced cohesion.
Collapse
|
6
|
Artime O, De Domenico M. From the origin of life to pandemics: emergent phenomena in complex systems. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2022; 380:20200410. [PMID: 35599559 PMCID: PMC9125231 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
When a large number of similar entities interact among each other and with their environment at a low scale, unexpected outcomes at higher spatio-temporal scales might spontaneously arise. This non-trivial phenomenon, known as emergence, characterizes a broad range of distinct complex systems-from physical to biological and social-and is often related to collective behaviour. It is ubiquitous, from non-living entities such as oscillators that under specific conditions synchronize, to living ones, such as birds flocking or fish schooling. Despite the ample phenomenological evidence of the existence of systems' emergent properties, central theoretical questions to the study of emergence remain unanswered, such as the lack of a widely accepted, rigorous definition of the phenomenon or the identification of the essential physical conditions that favour emergence. We offer here a general overview of the phenomenon of emergence and sketch current and future challenges on the topic. Our short review also serves as an introduction to the theme issue Emergent phenomena in complex physical and socio-technical systems: from cells to societies, where we provide a synthesis of the contents tackled in the issue and outline how they relate to these challenges, spanning from current advances in our understanding on the origin of life to the large-scale propagation of infectious diseases. This article is part of the theme issue 'Emergent phenomena in complex physical and socio-technical systems: from cells to societies'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Artime
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, Povo, TN 38123, Italy
| | - Manlio De Domenico
- Department of Physics and Astronomy ‘Galileo Galilei’, University of Padua, Padova, Veneto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhou W, Peralta JD, Hao Z, Gravish N. Lateral contact yields longitudinal cohesion in active undulatory systems. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:054604. [PMID: 35706245 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.054604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many animals and robots move using undulatory motion of their bodies. When the bodies are in close proximity undulatory motion can lead to novel collective behavior such as gait synchronization, spatial reconfiguration, and clustering. Here we study the role of contact interactions between model undulatory swimmers: three-link robots in experiment and multilink swimmers in simulation. The undulatory gait of each swimmer is generated through a time-dependent sinusoidal-like waveform which has a fixed phase offset, ϕ. By varying the phase relationship between neighboring swimmers we seek to study how contact forces and planar configurations are governed by the phase difference between neighboring swimmers. We find that undulatory actuation in close proximity drives neighboring swimmers into planar equilibrium configurations that depend on the actuation phase difference. We propose a model for stable planar configurations of nearest-neighbor undulatory swimmers which we call the gait compatibility condition, which is the set of planar and phase configurations in which no collisions occur. Robotic experiments with two, three, and four swimmers exhibit good agreement with the compatibility model. To study the contact forces and the time-averaged equilibrium between undulatory systems we perform simulations. To probe the interaction potential between undulatory swimmers we apply a small force to each swimmer longitudinally to separate them from the compatible configuration and we measure their steady-state displacement. These studies reveal that undulatory swimmers in close proximity exhibit attractive longitudinal interaction forces that drive the swimmers from incompatible to compatible configurations. This system of undulatory swimmers provides new insight into active-matter systems which move through body undulation. In addition to the importance of velocity and orientation coherence in active-matter swarms, we demonstrate that undulatory phase coherence is also important for generating stable, cohesive group configurations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA
| | - Jaquelin Dezha Peralta
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA
| | - Zhuonan Hao
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA
| | - Nick Gravish
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Huang LR, Zhu A, Wang K, Goldman DI, Ruina A, Petersen KH. Construction and Excavation by Collaborative Double-Tailed SAW Robots. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2022.3146562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
|
9
|
Hou H, Wang L. Measuring Dynamics in Evacuation Behaviour with Deep Learning. ENTROPY 2022; 24:e24020198. [PMID: 35205493 PMCID: PMC8871226 DOI: 10.3390/e24020198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Bounded rationality is one crucial component in human behaviours. It plays a key role in the typical collective behaviour of evacuation, in which heterogeneous information can lead to deviations from optimal choices. In this study, we propose a framework of deep learning to extract a key dynamical parameter that drives crowd evacuation behaviour in a cellular automaton (CA) model. On simulation data sets of a replica dynamic CA model, trained deep convolution neural networks (CNNs) can accurately predict dynamics from multiple frames of images. The dynamical parameter could be regarded as a factor describing the optimality of path-choosing decisions in evacuation behaviour. In addition, it should be noted that the performance of this method is robust to incomplete images, in which the information loss caused by cutting images does not hinder the feasibility of the method. Moreover, this framework provides us with a platform to quantitatively measure the optimal strategy in evacuation, and this approach can be extended to other well-designed crowd behaviour experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huaidian Hou
- The Haverford School, 450 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19010, USA;
| | - Lingxiao Wang
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Physics, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Prasath SG, Mandal S, Giardina F, Kennedy J, Murthy VN, Mahadevan L. Dynamics of cooperative excavation in ant and robot collectives. eLife 2022; 11:79638. [PMID: 36214457 PMCID: PMC9894586 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The solution of complex problems by the collective action of simple agents in both biologically evolved and synthetically engineered systems involves cooperative action. Understanding the resulting emergent solutions requires integrating across the organismal behavior of many individuals. Here, we investigate an ecologically relevant collective task in black carpenter ants Camponotus pennsylvanicus: excavation of a soft, erodible confining corral. These ants show a transition from individual exploratory excavation at random locations to spatially localized collective exploitative excavation and escape from the corral. Agent-based simulations and a minimal continuum theory that coarse-grains over individual actions and considers their integrated influence on the environment leads to the emergence of an effective phase space of behaviors, characterized in terms of excavation strength and cooperation intensity. To test the theory over the range of both observed and predicted behaviors, we use custom-built robots (RAnts) that respond to stimuli to characterize the phase space of emergence (and failure) of cooperative excavation. Tuning the amount of cooperation between RAnts, allows us to vary the efficiency of excavation and synthetically generate the entire range of macroscopic phases predicted by our theory. Overall, our approach shows how the cooperative completion of tasks can arise from simple rules that involve the interaction of agents with a dynamically changing environment that serves as both an enabler and a modulator of behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Ganga Prasath
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Souvik Mandal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States,Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Fabio Giardina
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Jordan Kennedy
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Venkatesh N Murthy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States,Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - L Mahadevan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States,Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States,Department of Physics, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Miller JS, Wan E, O'Fallon S, Pinter-Wollman N. Modularity and connectivity of nest structure scale with colony size. Evolution 2021; 76:101-113. [PMID: 34773247 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Large body sizes have evolved structures to facilitate resource transport. Like unitary organisms, social insect colonies must transport information and resources. Colonies with more individuals may experience transport challenges similar to large-bodied organisms. In ant colonies, transport occurs in the nest, which may consist of structures that facilitate movement. We examine three attributes of nests that might have evolved to mitigate transport challenges related to colony size: (1) subdivision-nests of species with large colonies are more subdivided to reduce crowd viscosity; (2) branching-nest tunnels increase branching in species with large colonies to reduce travel distances; and (3) shortcuts-nests of species with large colonies have cross-linking tunnels to connect distant parts of the nest and create alternative routes. We test these hypotheses by comparing nest structures of species with different colony sizes in phylogenetically controlled meta-analyses. Our findings support the hypothesis that nest subdivision and branching evolved to mitigate transport challenges related to colony size. Nests of species with large colonies contain more chambers and branching tunnels. The similarity in how ant nests and bodies of unitary organisms have evolved in response to increasing size suggests common solutions across taxa and levels of biological organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie S Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Emma Wan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Sean O'Fallon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
de Castro P, M Rocha F, Diles S, Soto R, Sollich P. Diversity of self-propulsion speeds reduces motility-induced clustering in confined active matter. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:9926-9936. [PMID: 34676388 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01009c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Self-propelled swimmers such as bacteria agglomerate into clusters as a result of their persistent motion. In 1D, those clusters do not coalesce macroscopically and the stationary cluster size distribution (CSD) takes an exponential form. We develop a minimal lattice model for active particles in narrow channels to study how clustering is affected by the interplay between self-propulsion speed diversity and confinement. A mixture of run-and-tumble particles with a distribution of self-propulsion speeds is simulated in 1D. Particles can swap positions at rates proportional to their relative self-propulsion speed. Without swapping, we find that the average cluster size Lc decreases with diversity and follows a non-arithmetic power mean of the single-component Lc's, unlike the case of tumbling-rate diversity previously studied. Effectively, the mixture is thus equivalent to a system of identical particles whose self-propulsion speed is the harmonic mean self-propulsion speed of the mixture. With swapping, particles escape more quickly from clusters. As a consequence, Lc decreases with swapping rates and depends less strongly on diversity. We derive a dynamical equilibrium theory for the CSDs of binary and fully polydisperse systems. Similarly to the clustering behaviour of one-component models, our qualitative results for mixtures are expected to be universal across active matter. Using literature experimental values for the self-propulsion speed diversity of unicellular swimmers known as choanoflagellates, which naturally differentiate into slower and faster cells, we predict that the error in estimating their Lcvia one-component models which use the conventional arithmetic mean self-propulsion speed is around 30%.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo de Castro
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Avenida Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile.
| | | | - Saulo Diles
- Faculdade de Física, Universidade Federal do Pará, Campus Salinópolis, Rua Raimundo Santana Cruz S/N, 68721-000, Salinópolis, Pará, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Soto
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Avenida Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Peter Sollich
- Disordered Systems Group, Department of Mathematics, King's College London, London, UK
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Amador-Vargas S, Wcislo W. Nestmate interference in acacia ants varies with colony size and task specialization. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
14
|
Chen D, Sun Y, Shao G, Yu W, Zhang HT, Lin W. Coordinating directional switches in pigeon flocks: the role of nonlinear interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210649. [PMID: 34631121 PMCID: PMC8479334 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms inducing unpredictably directional switches in collective and moving biological entities are largely unclear. Deeply understanding such mechanisms is beneficial to delicate design of biologically inspired devices with particular functions. Here, articulating a framework that integrates data-driven, analytical and numerical methods, we investigate the underlying mechanism governing the coordinated rotational flight of pigeon flocks with unpredictably directional switches. Particularly using the sparse Bayesian learning method, we extract the inter-agent interactional dynamics from the high-resolution GPS data of three pigeon flocks, which reveals that the decision-making process in rotational switching flight performs in a more nonlinear manner than in smooth coordinated flight. To elaborate the principle of this nonlinearity of interactions, we establish a data-driven particle model with two potential wells and estimate the mean switching time of rotational direction. Our model with its analytical and numerical results renders the directional switches of moving biological groups more interpretable and predictable. Actually, an appropriate combination of natures, including high density, stronger nonlinearity in interactions, and moderate strength of noise, can enhance such highly ordered, less frequent switches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duxin Chen
- School of Mathematics, Southeast University, Nanjing 211096, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongzheng Sun
- School of Mathematics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanbo Shao
- School of Mathematics, Southeast University, Nanjing 211096, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenwu Yu
- School of Mathematics, Southeast University, Nanjing 211096, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hai-Tao Zhang
- School of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Lin
- Research Institute of Intelligent Complex Systems and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, LMNS, and SCMS, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Carey NE, Bardunias P, Nagpal R, Werfel J. Validating a Termite-Inspired Construction Coordination Mechanism Using an Autonomous Robot. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:645728. [PMID: 33969004 PMCID: PMC8098689 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.645728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species of termites build large, structurally complex mounds, and the mechanisms behind this coordinated construction have been a longstanding topic of investigation. Recent work has suggested that humidity may play a key role in the mound expansion of savannah-dwelling Macrotermes species: termites preferentially deposit soil on the mound surface at the boundary of the high-humidity region characteristic of the mound interior, implying a coordination mechanism through environmental feedback where addition of wet soil influences the humidity profile and vice versa. Here we test this potential mechanism physically using a robotic system. Local humidity measurements provide a cue for material deposition. As the analogue of the termite's deposition of wet soil and corresponding local increase in humidity, the robot drips water onto an absorbent substrate as it moves. Results show that the robot extends a semi-enclosed area outward when air is undisturbed, but closes it off when air is disturbed by an external fan, consistent with termite building activity in still vs. windy conditions. This result demonstrates an example of adaptive construction patterns arising from the proposed coordination mechanism, and supports the hypothesis that such a mechanism operates in termites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Carey
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Paul Bardunias
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
| | - Radhika Nagpal
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Justin Werfel
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li S, Dutta B, Cannon S, Daymude JJ, Avinery R, Aydin E, Richa AW, Goldman DI, Randall D. Programming active cohesive granular matter with mechanically induced phase changes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabe8494. [PMID: 33893101 PMCID: PMC8064647 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe8494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
At the macroscale, controlling robotic swarms typically uses substantial memory, processing power, and coordination unavailable at the microscale, e.g., for colloidal robots, which could be useful for fighting disease, fabricating intelligent textiles, and designing nanocomputers. To develop principles that can leverage physical interactions and thus be used across scales, we take a two-pronged approach: a theoretical abstraction of self-organizing particle systems and an experimental robot system of active cohesive granular matter that intentionally lacks digital electronic computation and communication, using minimal (or no) sensing and control. As predicted by theory, as interparticle attraction increases, the collective transitions from dispersed to a compact phase. When aggregated, the collective can transport non-robot "impurities," thus performing an emergent task driven by the physics underlying the transition. These results reveal a fruitful interplay between algorithm design and active matter robophysics that can result in principles for programming collectives without the need for complex algorithms or capabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengkai Li
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Bahnisikha Dutta
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Sarah Cannon
- Mathematical Sciences, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Joshua J Daymude
- Computer Science, CIDSE, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Ram Avinery
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Enes Aydin
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Andréa W Richa
- Computer Science, CIDSE, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Daniel I Goldman
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Dana Randall
- School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chvykov P, Berrueta TA, Vardhan A, Savoie W, Samland A, Murphey TD, Wiesenfeld K, Goldman DI, England JL. Low rattling: A predictive principle for self-organization in active collectives. Science 2021; 371:90-95. [PMID: 33384378 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Self-organization is frequently observed in active collectives as varied as ant rafts and molecular motor assemblies. General principles describing self-organization away from equilibrium have been challenging to identify. We offer a unifying framework that models the behavior of complex systems as largely random while capturing their configuration-dependent response to external forcing. This allows derivation of a Boltzmann-like principle for understanding and manipulating driven self-organization. We validate our predictions experimentally, with the use of shape-changing robotic active matter, and outline a methodology for controlling collective behavior. Our findings highlight how emergent order depends sensitively on the matching between external patterns of forcing and internal dynamical response properties, pointing toward future approaches for the design and control of active particle mixtures and metamaterials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Chvykov
- Physics of Living Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Thomas A Berrueta
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Akash Vardhan
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - William Savoie
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Alexander Samland
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Todd D Murphey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kurt Wiesenfeld
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Daniel I Goldman
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jeremy L England
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. .,GlaxoSmithKline AI/ML, 200 Cambridgepark Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Individual variations lead to universal and cross-species patterns of social behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31754-31759. [PMID: 33257554 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002013117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The duration of interaction events in a society is a fundamental measure of its collective nature and potentially reflects variability in individual behavior. Here we performed a high-throughput measurement of trophallaxis and face-to-face event durations experienced by a colony of honeybees over their entire lifetimes. The interaction time distribution is heavy-tailed, as previously reported for human face-to-face interactions. We developed a theory of pair interactions that takes into account individual variability and predicts the scaling behavior for both bee and extant human datasets. The individual variability of worker honeybees was nonzero but less than that of humans, possibly reflecting their greater genetic relatedness. Our work shows how individual differences can lead to universal patterns of behavior that transcend species and specific mechanisms for social interactions.
Collapse
|
19
|
Gal A, Saragosti J, Kronauer DJC. anTraX, a software package for high-throughput video tracking of color-tagged insects. eLife 2020; 9:e58145. [PMID: 33211008 PMCID: PMC7676868 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen a surge in methods to track and analyze animal behavior. Nevertheless, tracking individuals in closely interacting, group-living organisms remains a challenge. Here, we present anTraX, an algorithm and software package for high-throughput video tracking of color-tagged insects. anTraX combines neural network classification of animals with a novel approach for representing tracking data as a graph, enabling individual tracking even in cases where it is difficult to segment animals from one another, or where tags are obscured. The use of color tags, a well-established and robust method for marking individual insects in groups, relaxes requirements for image size and quality, and makes the software broadly applicable. anTraX is readily integrated into existing tools and methods for automated image analysis of behavior to further augment its output. anTraX can handle large-scale experiments with minimal human involvement, allowing researchers to simultaneously monitor many social groups over long time periods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asaf Gal
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jonathan Saragosti
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Daniel JC Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mizumoto N, Bardunias PM, Pratt SC. Complex Relationship between Tunneling Patterns and Individual Behaviors in Termites. Am Nat 2020; 196:555-565. [PMID: 33064584 DOI: 10.1086/711020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe nests built by social insects are complex group-level structures that emerge from interactions among individuals following simple behavioral rules. Nest patterns vary among species, and the theory of complex systems predicts that there is no simple one-to-one relationship between variation in collective patterns and variation in individual behaviors. Therefore, a species-by-species comparison of the actual building process is essential to understand the mechanism producing diverse nest patterns. Here, we compare tunnel formation of three termite sp ecies and reveal two mechanisms producing interspecific variation: in one, a common behavioral rule yields distinct patterns via parameter tuning, and in the other, distinct rules produce similar patterns. We found that two related species transport sand in the same way using mandibles but build tunnels with different degrees of branching. The variation arises from different probabilities of choosing between two behavioral options at crowded tunnel faces: excavating the sidewall to make a new branch or waiting for clearance to extend the current tunnel. We further discovered that a third species independently evolved low-branched patterns using different building rules, namely, a bucket brigade that can excavate a crowded tunnel. Our findings emphasize the importance of direct comparative study of collective behaviors at both individual and group levels.
Collapse
|
21
|
Tennenbaum M, Fernandez-Nieves A. Activity effects on the nonlinear mechanical properties of fire-ant aggregations. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:012602. [PMID: 32794916 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.012602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Individual fire ants are inherently active as they are living organisms that convert stored chemical energy into motion. However, each individual ant is not equally disposed to motion at any given time. In an active aggregation, most of the constituent ants are active, and vice versa for an inactive aggregation. Here we look at the role activity plays on the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the aggregation through large amplitude oscillatory shear measurements. We find that the level of viscous nonlinearity can be decreased by increasing the activity or by increasing the volume fraction. In contrast, the level of elastic nonlinearity is not affected by either activity or volume fraction. We interpret this in terms of a transient network with equal rates of linking and unlinking but with varying number of linking and unlinking events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tennenbaum
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.,Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Fernandez-Nieves
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.,Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,ICREA-Instituci Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avanats, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Poissonnier LA, Motsch S, Gautrais J, Buhl C, Dussutour A. Experimental investigation of ant traffic under crowded conditions. eLife 2019; 8:e48945. [PMID: 31635695 PMCID: PMC6805160 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient transportation is crucial for urban mobility, cell function and the survival of animal groups. From humans driving on the highway, to ants running on a trail, the main challenge faced by all collective systems is how to prevent traffic jams in crowded environments. Here, we show that ants, despite their behavioral simplicity, have managed the tour de force of avoiding the formation of traffic jams at high density. At the macroscopic level, we demonstrated that ant traffic is best described by a two-phase flow function. At low densities there is a clear linear relationship between ant density and the flow, while at large density, the flow remains constant and no congestion occurs. From a microscopic perspective, the individual tracking of ants under varying densities revealed that ants adjust their speed and avoid time consuming interactions at large densities. Our results point to strategies by which ant colonies solve the main challenge of transportation by self-regulating their behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laure-Anne Poissonnier
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI)Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS31062 ToulouseFrance
| | | | - Jacques Gautrais
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI)Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS31062 ToulouseFrance
| | - Camille Buhl
- School of Agriculture, Food and WineThe University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
| | - Audrey Dussutour
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI)Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS31062 ToulouseFrance
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Savoie W, Berrueta TA, Jackson Z, Pervan A, Warkentin R, Li S, Murphey TD, Wiesenfeld K, Goldman DI. A robot made of robots: Emergent transport and control of a smarticle ensemble. Sci Robot 2019; 4:4/34/eaax4316. [DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aax4316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Robot locomotion is typically generated by coordinated integration of single-purpose components, like actuators, sensors, body segments, and limbs. We posit that certain future robots could self-propel using systems in which a delineation of components and their interactions is not so clear, becoming robust and flexible entities composed of functional components that are redundant and generic and can interact stochastically. Control of such a collective becomes a challenge because synthesis techniques typically assume known input-output relationships. To discover principles by which such future robots can be built and controlled, we study a model robophysical system: planar ensembles of periodically deforming smart, active particles—smarticles. When enclosed, these individually immotile robots could collectively diffuse via stochastic mechanical interactions. We show experimentally and theoretically that directed drift of such a supersmarticle could be achieved via inactivation of individual smarticles and used this phenomenon to generate endogenous phototaxis. By numerically modeling the relationship between smarticle activity and transport, we elucidated the role of smarticle deactivation on supersmarticle dynamics from little data—a single experimental trial. From this mapping, we demonstrate that the supersmarticle could be exogenously steered anywhere in the plane, expanding supersmarticle capabilities while simultaneously enabling decentralized closed-loop control. We suggest that the smarticle model system may aid discovery of principles by which a class of future “stochastic” robots can rely on collective internal mechanical interactions to perform tasks.
Collapse
|
24
|
Quarcoo FY, Hu XP, Appel AG. Temperature-Mediated Variations in Behavior and Mortality Caused by Non-Repellent Insecticides in Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae). INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10020037. [PMID: 30704110 PMCID: PMC6410312 DOI: 10.3390/insects10020037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral symptoms and mortality associated with intoxication with insecticides fipronil and indoxacarb were determined in field-collected eastern subterranean termites, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), and Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Behaviors and mortality were evaluated at three temperatures (16, 22, and 28 °C) and three concentrations of fipronil (0.5, 1, and 5 ppm) and indoxacarb (50, 75, and 100 ppm). LT50 (median lethal time to kill 50% of the termites) values declined with increasing concentrations and temperatures for both fipronil-exposed eastern and Formosan subterranean termites, whereas these values were not always the highest at 16 °C for indoxacarb-treated termites. The greatest change (reduction) in LT50 values occurred for both species between 16 and 22 °C at the lowest concentration of each insecticide. Intoxication and moribundity were the most frequently observed behaviors for fipronil-exposed termites, whereas intoxication, ataxia, and moribundity were observed for most concentration and temperature combinations for indoxacarb-exposed termites. The inherent toxicity of fipronil was higher than that of indoxacarb. The higher presence and duration of intoxication behaviors may positively affect the performance of indoxacarb against subterranean termite colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franklin Y Quarcoo
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5413, USA.
- Department of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, 103 Morrison-Mayberry Hall, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA.
| | - Xing Ping Hu
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5413, USA.
| | - Arthur G Appel
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5413, USA.
| |
Collapse
|