Here's the link, check it out if you feel like it: Ant Colony Simulation
As a final project in my AI class, I developed a program that hopefully introduces non-programmers to the artificial intelligence principle of emergence in ant colony optimization.
Basically, the program models how real-life ants cooperate to find food. Even though each individual ant is pretty dumb, the colony as a whole shows intelligent behavior. Through pheromones and some very simple rules, ants work together to respond to dynamic environments (which you can change on the fly).
spiral.jpg
The program's source is available, and it might serve as a base for another programmer to implement something more game-like. This could be the beginnings of a tower defense game, or just a better version of the open environment I've started here.
I'm submitting this later today, so any feedback on stuff that isn't obvious is appreciated. Also, if anybody using a mac could do a quick "this works", I'd appreciate it. My professor uses a mac, but I don't have one to test on.
I've also posted this here and here.