1. Self-Organization and Templates
Andrew “Tookie” Matiukas

2. Self-Organization (Previously)
Self-Organization is the formation of clusters
Corpse piles
Brood Sorting
Larger Clusters grow even larger
More attractive than smaller clusters
Arbitrary Locations
Clusters appear in arbitrary locations as there is nothing controlling where they first form

3. Templates A pattern used to create another pattern
In Swarm AI pre-existing pattern that shapes the results of the self-organization
Termite Queen and royal chamber
Brood pile and the ant nest
Definition of a template
Termite Queen pheromone acts as template
Brood pile as template for building around it

4. Termite Template Workers deposit pellets around the queen
Pheromone emitted by the queen controls distance from her
Pellets have own pheromone
Causes self-organization of the workers
Column building behavior
Queen pheromone overrides the pellets
The queen’s pheromone acts as a gradient, when threshold is met means deposit pellet
Pellet piles attract other pellets
Columns form where a pile of pellets continues to attract more pellets, more than surrounding areas
Queen pheromone gradient threshold matters more, must be met before checking for the pellet pheromone

5. Ant Templates Templates can also be natural gradients
Temperature gradient
Acantholepsis custodiens moves eggs, larvae, and pupae as temperature changes in the hill
Image unavailable (look at board)
3 am eggs close to top, then larvae, then pupae
At 3 pm eggs much lower down, larvae much much lower down, and pupae at bottom

6. Math Models of Royal Chamber Construction
Changes in concentration of pellet pheromone is a function of:
Number of pellets
Pheromone decay
Pheromone diffusion
R is location and t is time

7. Math Models of Royal Chamber Construction (continued)
Density of termites with pellets is a function of:
Inflow of loaded termites (temporary constant flow)
Amount of deposited pellets
Random movement of termites
Attractiveness of pheromone gradient

8. Notes on the Model Columns do not always form
Caused by too few termites (low density of workers)
Rate of pellets dropped too low
Model does not show observed double movement
Same results none the less

9. ?Questions?