Page 50 - 2003 DT 12 Issues

Re - Inventiveness ○ inventor of the world’s smallest self-con- ○ enhanced autonomous swarms of robots
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○ ○ tained autonomous robots. to mimic the complex social clustering be-
mproving upon nature is a common ○ ○ Fascinated with the process of inven- ○ haviors of bee societies. McLurkin says,
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quest of scientists and inventors alike. ○ tion since early childhood and heavily ○ “My goal is the simulation of a natural sys-
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IYet merely reproducing the ○ influenced by his parents love of nature, ○ ○ tem at high enough fidelity that I can take
sophistication of natural systems contin- ○ ○ McLurkin developed a keen interest in ex- ○ ○ the robots around and help biologists un-
ues to elude most. ○ ○ ploring and learning from the principles ○ derstand what’s going on in real systems.”
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One such system is the product of a ○ of nature. “Understanding nature is the key ○ While creating a robot swarm as so-
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creature both ubiquitous and virtually in- ○ to unlocking the secrets of intelligence,” ○ phisticated as a real ant colony or beehive
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destructible. Able to thrive in the ○ ○ McLurkin said. For his undergraduate the- ○ ○ is unlikely very soon, McLurkin-inspired
dry heat of Southwestern deserts, the ○ ○ sis project at MIT in 1994, he chose to ○ ○ engineers now dream of creating swarms
wooded glens of northern New England, ○ simulate the behavior of an ant colony, cre- ○ of tiny machines to go where no human
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or the tropical rainforests of South ○ ating 12 “ant robots” measuring about an ○ can—the ocean’s deepest reaches, under
America, it can as easily wallow in salt- ○ inch per side. While working on the ○ ○ the red soils of Mars, the ooze of a toxic
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water habitats of the Florida Keys, ○ ○ project, McLurkin kept an ant farm in his ○ ○ spill, even (eventually) the human blood-
navigate city environments, or colonize ○ laboratory. ○ stream.
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○ One day, these self-organizing avatars
the glacial expanses of the Arctic Circle. ○ ○
It will dine on plants, animals, insects, ○ ○ ○ ○ will learn how to reproduce, talk to others
nuts, oils, sugars, or even its fellows. ○ ○ ○ ○ of their kind, evolve to suit many environ-
Learning from its own mistakes and ○ ○ ○ ments, defend against enemies, and
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from kin, it is deft in negotiating any en- ○ ○ single-mindedly pursue their own social
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vironment. A stalwart soldier and superb ○ ○ imperatives, sort of like . . . well—ants.
weight lifter, it is highly social and uses a ○ ○ ○ ○
complex communication system. By dint ○ ○
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○ Science Project
of its numbers, it is almost extinction- ○ ○
○ ○ Volunteers Needed
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proof, even resistant to hard radiation, and ○
in some cases, industrial pollution. ○ ○ ○ ○
You needn’t look very far to find it ○ ○ ○ ○ riends members are invited to help
either. It’s probably staging a seasonal as- ○ ○ us monitor our public lands. We are
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sault on your garden, if not your larder, ○ The robots, each powered by a tiny ○ Fmodeling our monitoring program
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right now. ○ internal computer and three tiny motors, ○ after The GLOBE Program, an interna-
In 1990, Harvard biologist Edward O. ○ ○ used their “feelers” and other sensors to ○ tional environmental science and
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Wilson and collegue Bert Holldobler pub- ○ go around obstacles and move toward education program that uses data collected
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lished the defining work on this paragon ○ light. Ultimately, he programmed the ro- ○ locally from scientific studies around the
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and its family (Formicidae) titled, the Ants. ○ botic ants into a “swarm” in which they ○ world. Funding for those studies comes
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In his introduction, Wilson criticized the ○ responded to their environment, hunted ○ from organizations such as NASA and the
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scientific community for giving little at- ○ for and consumed food, communicated ○ National Science Foundation.
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tention to the critical role ants play in the ○ with each other, and even played tag. In ○ ○ Training for data collection will be
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natural world: “. . . not one biologist in a ○ practical terms, a future “army” of robot ○ held on July 15 - 16, 7 a.m. - noon at the
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hundred can describe the life cycle of any ○ “ants” would have a higher success rate ○ Visitor Center, and again in the fall. Data
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species. The neglect of ants in science and ○ in performing a task than a single machine. ○ collection can begin as soon as we have
natural history is a shortcoming that ○ They could get the job done even if half ○ ○ volunteers. You can collect data concern-
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should be remedied, for they represent the ○ or more were destroyed. ○ ing the atmosphere, hydrology and
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culmination of insect evolution, in the ○ But the robots can provide insight into ○ phenology within the Conservation Area.
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same sense that human beings represent ○ nature as well. Soon, it may be easier for ○ Additional computer security training will
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the summit of vertebrate evolution.” ○ biologists to extend their knowledge of ○ also be required for data entry.
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But if biologists have been slow to ○ social insects. As part of his doctoral re- ○ This is an exciting chance to help Red
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recognize the superiority of ants, engineer- search at MIT, the young innovator and ○ Rock Canyon and contribute to a global
ing scientists have not. Enter James winner of the 2003 Lemelson-MIT ○ ○ understanding of our natural world. If you
McLurkin, a 30 year old MIT graduate and Student Prize, is programming his vastly ○ have questions or would like to sign up
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Page 2 FORRC/July 2003