Ants move like Self-Driving Cars?
Ants are considered one of the most impressive species in terms of navigation capabilities. In addition to using the sun’s position in the sky, like beetles, they can travel in a straight line whether they’re moving forward or backward.
The ability to move forward or backward has astounded researchers. Dr. Antoine Wystrach of the University of Edinburgh and CNRS in Paris noted that “ants can decouple their direction of travel from their body orientation.”
“Ants have a relatively tiny brain, less than the size of a pinhead,” says Barbara Webb of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, yet they can navigate much like self-driving cars.
Similar to termites, they have self-organization: they know what to do without being told by a leader. They simply leave traces of pheromones for each other that enable them to build complex, intelligent structures without planning or direct communication. They work collectively—automatically.
Tandem Running:
Ants have another unique travel capability called tandem running. Over a third of all ants set out from the nest in pairs each day to forage in tandem. One leads and one follows, and the follower maintains contact by frequently touching the leader’s legs and abdomen with its antennae. The leader will run faster if the follower ant keeps pace, or stop if they sense they are decoupled.
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