Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #03404
To: Nigel Joyce nigel.joyce@qr.com.au, Steven Bolt sbolt@xs4all.nl
From: Dennison dennlill@buffnet.net
Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 21:59:57 -0400
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Ants, Web site & (Ian?)
True, a dynamic sensor seems to be in order, and I think that this would be
a good way to implement one. Credit goes to Sean for bringing the 'low code'
effect back to the list, I personally had forgotten about it.
Dennison
>I was just thinking that ants antenna's are basically (very basically)
>sticks they wave around with the sensors on the ends, why don't we try
>something similar, how about the idea mentioned a couple of days ago by
>Dennison using the microcore with .1uf Caps and the 1M resistors to wave
>antenna around and we mount detectors on the ends, eg, thermisistors, IR,
>etc. don't know how useful the result would be, but in our attempt to
>simulate life, this seems to be along the right track.
>Cya
>Blue Skies
>---Buzz---
>>
>> > Hey, I was just thinking about how I would go about recreating an ant.
I
>> > don't know allot about them but I was wondering about one thing in
>> > particular. Ants have eyes right. And feelers. If they have eyes why do
>> > the need feelers? (because they don't have very good vision right?) But
>> > if they don't have very good vision why don't they just have feelers
and
>> > no eyes? If they do have good eyesight then why do the have feelers?
How
>> > do they communicate with each other?
>>
>> Even good eyes need tactile sensors as backup. Take your skin;
>> every little bit of it is sensitive to touch and temperature.
>>
>> For ants, pheromones are very important; as a way to communicate and
>> for using the environment as a kind of collective memory (pheromone
>> trails). If I remember correctly, the antennae are most important
>> for smelling and tasting.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> # sbolt@xs4all.nl # Steven Bolt # popular science monthly KIJK #
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>
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