Professor and Chair
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Cornell University
Research Associate
Center for Computer Science and Engineering
University of Washington
Lucian Professor of Natural Sciences
St. Edward's University
Have you ever wondered how schools of fish know how to dodge predators? Or how bird flocks can choose the right direction? The answer lies in collective problem solving or swarm intelligence. Swarm intelligence refers to problem solving that is accomplished collectively ' by a group operating without centralized control. This type of decision making is not solely based in nature; it also has human applications, such as allocating telecommunication traffic among servers or directing nanobots within a body to kill cancer cells.
This year's symposium focuses on swarm intelligence and its impact in nature and society by focusing on two areas of research: honeybees and robots. How do the thousands of individuals in a honeybee swarm work together to collectively choose a top-quality home site? This presentation reveals some take-home lessons from the bees, or swarm smarts, on how to foster good decision making by democratic groups of humans. And how do scientists apply knowledge of biological systems to programming robots for completing complex tasks in teams?
Other questions to be discussed include: Why should we suspect that robot groups and honey bee swarms can use similar software? What are the key differences between natural and artificial systems that limit the utility of biological inspiration? How can robot swarms solve problems like navigation and communication in different ways from natural systems?
The area of swarm intelligence offers fascinating insights, daunting challenges and exciting possibilities in the application of solutions evolved in nature to solving engineering problems.
Organized by the School of Natural Sciences at St. Edward's University, the event is free and open to the public. This symposium honors Brother Lucian Blersch, CSC, a longtime professor of engineering at St. Edward's who died in 1986 and in whose name a professorship in the School of Natural Sciences was endowed by a gift from J.B.N. Morris, hs '48, '52, and his family.