Our research is inspired by a known phenomenon in urban science: the super-linear scaling of energy consumption with respect to population. Namely, the per capita energy consumption is higher in cities with more residents. In contrast, for ant colonies, the city analog in ants, energy consumption per ant decreases with the colony size. Ant colonies achieve this efficiency by systematically activating and deactivating their activity cycles, thus optimizing the number of active working individuals. In the DSL, we study energy consumption in ants on both the individual and collective levels. On the individual ant level, we model the locomotion of a single ant and its mechanics. On the colony level, we model the ants’ interaction network, which reduces overall energy consumption.
The photos show our team presenting this research at the NYU Tandon EXPO, where we engaged attendees with interactive demonstrations of our models and research – NYU Tandon EXPO April 25, 2025
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