The Spanish army is using ant colony algorithms to plot the best paths through future battlefields
By Jeremy Hsu Posted 11.09.2009 at 12:45 pm 3 Comments

Battlefield Swarm Say, from here the soldiers look like ants ... Strategic Simulations, Inc./University of Granada

Moving through real-life battlefields inevitably proves trickier than playing a game of Minesweeper, but Spanish researchers and army officers have converted the video game Panzer General into a simulator that can test troop maneuver algorithms based on ant colony behavior.

The software would allow army units to find the best paths through hazardous battlefields, with minimal casualties balanced against best possible speed. It takes a cue from the behavior of ant scouts that discover the best paths leading to food, and then leave pheromone scent trails for other ants to follow. Ants end up choosing the "best" routes that have been painted multiple times by their fellow scouts, as a sort of vote on the best trail.

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Tags

Technology, Jeremy Hsu, algorithms, ant colony, ants, drones, military, pheromones, simulations, simulators, swarm intelligence, virtual battlefields

Similar ant colony algorithms have previously helped researchers establish efficient truck routes and secure computer networks against worms. Drones of the near-future may also operate with a type of swarm intelligence on the battlefield.

Early results from the Panzer General mod have impressed the Spanish Military of Defense enough for it to consider using the simulator in designing real military strategies. The paper came out earlier this year.

Perhaps the only visible downside to the simulator is that it does not play as prettily as games like Company of Heroes or Men of War. But then again, war's no game.

[University of Granada via The Register]

3 Comments

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TechnoFreakFace
11/09/09 at 5:59 pm

well FINALY theres progress in....my opinion the most important field of robotics research....still a long way to go....and then just mabye if it gets past beurocracy and military secrecy it could benefit consumer quite a bit.

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uncleiroh13
11/10/09 at 12:25 pm

Well how about we make a thing like company of heroes and control each squad to do something and we can see the entire battlefield, with no FOW. The spanish got a good idea going here. How about america gets smart right now and makes something like this? i could be a better general of the army (or whoever controls the militaries funding to certain areas) and im only 14. Dont make fun of me. >:(

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TechnoFreakFace
11/12/09 at 11:27 am

@uncleiroh13
cant wait for those video games :P

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