Can Ants Teach Us How to Program Self-Driving Cars?

A study published in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives examined how ants avoid traffic jams and found that they adopt specific strategies to prevent jams. The study revealed that ants form platoons, maintain a constant speed, and avoid overtaking maneuvers, which helps them avoid traffic jams even at high densities. Researchers are now studying these cooperative tactics to learn how to program self-driving cars that can avoid traffic jams. The current approach to programming self-driving cars prioritizes individual interests, which can lead to traffic jams. In contrast, ants' cooperative behavior allows them to optimize traffic flow and avoid jams. Self-driving cars could be programmed to share information with nearby cars to optimize traffic flow and prevent jams. One possible approach is to prioritize constant speeds and headways, or to avoid passing other cars on the road. Human drivers can also learn from ants by leaving enough space between their car and the one ahead of them to absorb waves of braking and prevent phantom traffic jams. By keeping a safe distance, drivers can help traffic flow smoothly and prevent unnecessary jams. The researchers acknowledge that there are differences between human traffic and ant traffic, including the fact that ants can walk over each other and find alternative routes when backed up, but they believe that studying ant behavior can still provide valuable insights for improving human traffic flow.