Designer choreographs ant ballet
Culture
24 March 12 by Olivia Solon- Tweet
Wired.co.uk
- Culture
- Bug Week
- Ants
- Design
- Art
- London Zoo
- Barcelona
- Pheromones
Upcoming Events
- Wired Retail
More from Wired
- Wired Consulting
- Wired Insider
Newsletter
- RSS
- Wired Podcast
- Magazine
- Google+
- Tumblr
- Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement
- Terms & Conditions
- Contact Us
- © Condé Nast UK 2014
Designer Ollie Palmer has spent two years studying control systems and insect navigation in a bid to develop a machine that makes ants move in a choreographed fashion, dubbed the Ant Ballet.
The project was inspired by 1974 cult classic Phase IV, a film about intelligent ants attacking humans. Palmer spent a lot of time studying pheromone synthesis and control mechanisms for invasive species before developing the machine, which comprises of a two-metre wide platform and a robotic arm that creates a path of pheromone powder for the ants to follow.
He opted to use the linepthinema humile or Argentine ant for the project. This is because this species has been well-studied by biologists who have been able to synthesise the pheromones that they use to create trails for other ants to follow. This synthesised ant pheromone (Z9:16 Ald Hexadecenal) can be purchased from South Korea for around £2,300 per gram, although Palmer persuaded the UCL organic chemistry department to create some for him.
Palmer has tested the machine in Barcelona, where the Argentine ants already live. He is not allowed to use live ants in the UK because they are considered a highly invasive species, he told Wired.co.uk.
To collect the ants, he had to take a manual vacuum device -- essentially a tube that goes into a container and then another tube from that container to the collector's mouth. The person sucks air in through the upper tube, which draws ants into the container. A gauze layer prevents any ants going into the collector's mouth. However the scent they emit "tastes very bitter". "After three days of sucking up ants you sure know about it," Palmer told Wired.co.uk.
Having collected 15,000 ants he could test out his Ant Ballet theories. The system worked, although he has spent a lot of time refining the robotic arm for when he takes the piece to Brazil in December this year.
"The first ballet will use two colonies of ants performing a dance over a period of a few hours. In a time-lapse video you'll be able to clearly see how they are moving in a balletic way," said Palmer.
For the next phase of the project, Palmer wants to create a "Skype for ants", which will take ants in one country and film them from above. Camera tracking software will map their routes and then transmit that data to another set of ants in another country. A robotic arm will then create the same shapes in pheromones so that the second set of ants mimic the movement of the first set.
In the meantime, you can see a computer-generated simulation of the ant ballet, projected onto the actual machine at London Zoo's Pestival between now and June.
Edited by Nate Lanxon
thank to let me more understand about insects and way of life. Love Annie
great project. have reposted on www.antark.net a site all about ants
What a load of rubbish.
That was pretty stupid... It sucks that he spent 2 years doing that, sometimes a dream should just stay that way, a dream.
I think I'd want the 2 years of my life back.
In reply to jec
Ahahahhaa! True story.I am impressed with what people can do with their studies...I mean, you could have been a freelance designer with great success, you could open your own company, but you choose to make ants "dance".It's a mystery...Unless you are japanese xD
That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
costumes ... sets ...
Its actually a remarkable project, art, synthetic chemistry, engineering and political/social comment all wrapped up in a machine that actually works. And all by one student! Time well spent in my book.
Dear Comment Monkeys with no humour, understanding of metaphor and less intelligence than a single linepthinema humile. What have you done in the past 2 years that made it into many of the world design, technology and science publications?