Ideas worth spreading

What intelligent machines can learn from a school of fish

1,312,064 views |

Radhika Nagpal |

TED2017

• April 2017

Science fiction visions of the future show us AI built to replicate our way of thinking -- but what if we modeled it instead on the other kinds of intelligence found in nature? Robotics engineer Radhika Nagpal studies the collective intelligence displayed by insects and fish schools, seeking to understand their rules of engagement. In a visionary talk, she presents her work creating artificial collective power and previews a future where swarms of robots work together to build flood barriers, pollinate crops, monitor coral reefs and form constellations of satellites.

Science fiction visions of the future show us AI built to replicate our way of thinking -- but what if we modeled it instead on the other kinds of intelligence found in nature? Robotics engineer Radhika Nagpal studies the collective intelligence displayed by insects and fish schools, seeking to understand their rules of engagement. In a visionary talk, she presents her work creating artificial collective power and previews a future where swarms of robots work together to build flood barriers, pollinate crops, monitor coral reefs and form constellations of satellites.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Visit Radhika Nagpal's homepage.

Learn more about Self-Organizing Systems Research at Harvard.

About the speaker

Radhika Nagpal

Robotics engineer

See speaker profile

Taking cues from bottom-up biological networks like those of social insects, Radhika Nagpal helped design an unprecedented “swarm” of ant-like robots.

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Root Robotics is our new company that hopes to make the fun and beauty of programming accessible and affordable to everyone, and help enable true diversity in our technological future. Every kid should learn to
code in a fun way, that enhances their personal interests, and that inspires them to become creative technologies themselves. We aim to be part of that revolution.

Mark Moffett | University of California Press, 2011 | Book

Adventures among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions

It's hard not to be inspired when you read about the amazing exploits and societies of ants. Ants have all the characteristics we might think of as human, from agriculture to building underground city-like networks to defense and deceit, but without leaders. Learning about ants taught me to think differently about both robots and people.

Eric Bonabeau, Guy Theralauz and Marco Dorigo | Book

Swarm Intelligence: From Natural to Artificial Systems

This book describes some of the beginning of my field of research and how interdisciplinary groups of biologists, physicists and computer scientists uncovered natural rules and designed artificial systems. It's surprising how deceivingly simple rules can lead to group intelligence.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Visit Radhika Nagpal's homepage.

Learn more about Self-Organizing Systems Research at Harvard.