Fire Ants: Masters of Tower Construction and Inspiration for Modular Robots

by Jasmine September 26, 2024

written by Jasmine September 26, 2024

How Fire Ants Construct Remarkable Writhing Towers

Unveiling the Secrets of Fire Ant Towers

Fire ants, renowned for their resilience and adaptability, possess an extraordinary ability to construct writhing towers that serve as temporary shelters. These towers, which can reach heights of over 30 ants, are feats of engineering that have intrigued scientists for decades.

Accidental Discovery: The Tower’s Constant Motion

A team of researchers at Georgia Tech stumbled upon a remarkable discovery while studying fire ants building a tower. Initially intending to record only two hours of the process, their camera inadvertently captured three hours of footage.

As they reviewed the footage, they noticed an unexpected phenomenon: the tower was in constant, albeit slow, motion. The column of ants slowly sank, resembling melting butter.

X-Ray Videography: Illuminating the Tower’s Dynamics

To delve deeper into the tower’s dynamics, the researchers fed some of the ants water laced with radioactive iodine. Using X-ray videography, they confirmed that the ants on the outside of the tower were climbing around, while the Eiffel-tower-shaped mass was gradually sinking.

Behavioral Rules: The Ants’ Construction Code

Unlike humans, fire ants do not rely on complex plans or leadership to build their towers. Instead, they follow a set of simple behavioral rules, similar to those they use to construct rafts.

Each ant crawls along the bodies of its companions until it finds an open spot, then links itself into the tower. As all the ants follow these rules, they collectively form the tower, with a thick base that gradually narrows towards the top.

Sinking Structure: A Dynamic Equilibrium

The sinking of the tower occurs because the ants at the bottom eventually succumb to the weight of the structure. They abandon their position, climb up the sides, and find a new spot at the top. This process repeats continuously, rebuilding the tower from the bottom up.

“The rest of the tower is gradually sinking, while the ants at the top keep building it higher and higher,” said researcher Craig Tovey. “It’s kind of hilarious.”

Weight Tolerance: Ants as Structural Supports

In another experiment, the researchers placed transparent plastic sheets on the ants. They found that the ants could tolerate about 750 times their own bodyweight. However, in practice, the ants preferred to shoulder the weight of only three comrades. If the weight exceeded this threshold, they would abandon their position in the tower.

Ant Bridges: Crossing Chasms with Teamwork

Fire ants also exhibit remarkable teamwork in constructing bridges to cross chasms. These bridges allow them to overcome obstacles and reach new territories.

Implications for Modular Robots

The researchers believe that studying fire ant behavior could provide valuable insights for designing modular robots. These robots could use simple behavioral rules to work together, performing tasks such as moving through tight spaces in collapsed buildings during search and rescue missions.

Like ants, they could assemble to cross gaps or form towers to climb obstacles. By harnessing the principles of fire ant behavior, modular robots could become more versatile and effective in various applications.

Jasmine

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