Solving a maze
Nakagaki, Yamada and Tóth reported that the slime mold Physarum can find a path through a maze.
As reported in: Nakagaki, Yamada, Tóth (2000). Maze-solving by an amoeboid organism. Nature. doi:10.1038/35035159
Slime mold problem solving (Physarum)
Experiments: basic research on living systems, not technology.
Also: Physarum polycephalum, slime mould, anticipation, timing memory
A brainless single-celled slime mold that finds short paths, builds efficient networks and seems to anticipate repeating events.
Known properties: Slime mold problem solving (Physarum)
Only what the cited papers report.
- Finds the shortest path through a maze. doi:10.1038/35035159
- After three regular unfavourable pulses, slows down spontaneously when the next would have come. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.018101
- Forms networks with efficiency, fault tolerance and cost comparable to the Tokyo rail system. doi:10.1126/science.1177894
Uses proposed by researchers for this topic are listed on Potential uses.
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Timeline
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biology
Anticipating periodic events
Saigusa and colleagues hit Physarum with three unfavourable pulses at regular intervals; afterwards it slowed down on its own when the next pulse would have come, implying it anticipated the change.
As reported in: Saigusa, Tero, Nakagaki et al. (2008). Amoebae Anticipate Periodic Events. Physical Review Letters. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.018101
Rebuilding the Tokyo rail network
Tero and colleagues showed Physarum forms networks with efficiency, fault tolerance and cost comparable to the Tokyo rail system, and derived design rules from it.
As reported in: Tero, Takagi, Saigusa et al. (2010). Rules for Biologically Inspired Adaptive Network Design. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1177894