Title:
Fire ants build self-healing towers
Fire ants build self-healing towers
Author(s)
Phonekeo, Sulisay Sulisay
Advisor(s)
Hu, David L.
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Abstract
This study considers the construction and preservation of structures built by fire ants, {\it Solenopsis Invicta}. The construction of shelter is a universal ability of living systems, and is manifested among caterpillar tents, bird nests, and primate nests. While much headway has been made into the principles of swarm behavior in bird flocks and schools of fish, less is understood about how systems can self-assemble to build temporary shelters. This study uses videography to show how fire ants can build structures much larger than themselves: by designing structures of particular shape and using the ability to self-heal to preserve the structures. We used micro scale observations to predict the construction of fire ant towers and conducted material testing on fire ant aggregate to quantify their physical properties. In addition, we compare ant aggregates to cell aggregates to develop common experimental methods to study the collective motion of these self-assemblages. The mechanisms and rules found here may contribute to the studies of both living and robotic swarms.
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Date Issued
2015-08-05
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