Showing papers on "Ant colony published in 1991"
Proceedings Article•
14 Feb 1991
TL;DR: A distributed sorting algorithm, inspired by how ant colonies sort their brood, is presented for use by robot teams, offering the advantages of simplicity, flexibility and robustness.
Abstract: A distributed sorting algorithm, inspired by how ant colonies sort their brood is presented for use by robot teams The robots move randomly, do not communicate have no hierarchical organisation, have no global representation can only perceive objects just in front of them, but can distinguish between objects of two or more types with a certain degree of error The probability that they pick up or put down an object is modulated as a function of how many of the same objects they have met in the recent past This generates a positive feed-back that is sufficient to coordinate the robots' activity, resulting in their sorting the objects into common clusters While less efficient than a hierarchically controlled sorting, this decentralised organisation offers the advantages of simplicity, flexibility and robustness
971 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that the colony can be regarded as a population of excitable subunits that acts on the spontaneity of activity and coupling strength to produce changes in the overall activity level of the colony, and the results of this paper can be explained in this light.
Abstract: Activity levels within ant colonies are monitored by using a solid-state automatically digitizing camera. The movement-activity levels of whole colonies and of isolated groups of workers are studie...
139 citations
TL;DR: The hypothesis that ants (Pheidole minutula) associated with the myrmecophytic melastome Maieta guianensis defend their host-plant against herbivores was investigated in a site near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
Abstract: The hypothesis that ants (Pheidole minutula) associated with the myrmecophytic melastome Maieta guianensis defend their host-plant against herbivores was investigated in a site near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. M. guianensis is a small shrub that produces leaf pouches as ant domatia. Plants whose ants were experimentally removed suffered a significant increase in leaf damage compared with control plants (ants maintained). Ants patrol the young and mature leaves of Maieta with the same intensity, presumably since leaves of both ages are equally susceptible to herbivore attack. The elimination of the associated ant colony, and consequent increase in herbivory, resulted in reduced plant fitness. Fruit production was 45 times greater in plants with ants than in plants without ants 1 year after ant removal.
114 citations