Ant Observatory, by Sam Kennard

This 3D model serves as an observatory for the social behavior of real ants. It aims to make ants more accessible for viewing. The work highlights the subtleties of movement in ants and the parallels between their behavior and human behavior. In the video, a pheromone trail left by a scout ant has led other ants to climb up on the structure and into a central dome. A camera positioned above the head captures the ants’ feeding habits as well as their social interaction. Of particular interest are the head-to-head exchanges between some ants that act as a “passing of information” or method of identification. The number of ants seen in the video were present in just one hour after setup. This shows the amazing scope and effectiveness of communication between these creatures.