Emergent Swarm Intelligence

Swarm Parameters

Boid Count: 200

Flocking Forces

Separation: 1.5

Alignment: 1.0

Cohesion: 1.0

Perception & Physics

Perception Radius: 50px

Max Speed: 4

Max Force: 0.1

Interactive Modes

Predator Mode (Mouse)

Obstacle Mode (Click to place)

Show Perception Radius

Show Trails

Wind Force

Visualization

Color Mode:

FPS: 60

Boids: 200

Avg Speed: 0.00

Flocks: 0

About Boids

Boids is an artificial life program developed by Craig Reynolds in 1986 that simulates the flocking behavior of birds. The remarkable insight is that complex global behavior emerges from just three simple local rules:

Separation: Steer to avoid crowding nearby flockmates
Alignment: Steer towards the average heading of nearby flockmates
Cohesion: Steer to move toward the average position of nearby flockmates

Connection to Constraint Theory: This demonstrates the FPS (First-Person Shooter) paradigm - each boid only perceives its local neighborhood within its perception radius. There is no central coordinator or global state. Complex order emerges spontaneously from geometric constraints between agents.

Interactive Features: Enable Predator Mode to make boids flee from your mouse cursor, or use Obstacle Mode to place barriers that boids must navigate around.