Physarum Polycephalum

Physarum Polycephalum.
Physarum Polycephalum, better known as “Slime Mould” is a single celled organism that can perform complex biological computations without any central controlling mechanism. Due to this property its computational abilities have become widely researched since the beginning of the 21st century. My initial studies were developed with SharpMatter and are based on Jeff Jones book “From Pattern Formation to Material Computation. Multi-Agent Modelling of Physarum Polycephalum ”. Specifically from chapter 3 -3.3. For a brief overview you can look at http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/art1.2010.16.2.16202
Each particle like agent is encoded with very simple rules of behaviour. The agents communicate and interact with each other through a “pheromone value” in the environment. Each agent can receive and modify the local values of the chemical through their 3 different sensors. Diffusion then helps to propagate the chemoattractant values through the environment. Depending on how each agent reads its environment different collective patterns emerge over time. The patterns formed are most of the times dynamic and adaptive to changing environmental conditions.
My further goal through this research is to be able to generate a tool which can be used for solving design problems.