Digital Ant Communication

image 2
Pherophone is an anonymous indirect geolocation communication service. Pherophone is modeled after chemical communication systems in the natural world. Ants and other insects use pheromones to organize paths and warn of dangers, in a process known as stigmergy. This process is now used in artificial intelligence for many optimization problems. Pherophone takes this decentralized, indirect communcation to today's smartphones.

Drop As You Move ...

With Pherophone, you can leave and detect digital pheromone drops at the touch of a button. Using the app on your mobile smartphone, you can drop messages as you move around, creating virtual, temporary signposts. Notify others of a garage sale, hot spot for food, traffic detour, the possibilities are endless. Currently, the user can set the messages to dissipate from 10 minutes to 6 hours, and to have a range of 100 - 4000 meters (about 328 feet to 2.5 miles.

And Sniff Where You Are!

Anyone can detect your pherophone drops through sniffing at a location. The sniff will detect the direction of the drop, shown with a compass direction (N, E, S, W), and the intensity of the drop, a number between 0 and 1. Drops begin at an intensity of 1, and as a drop dissipates, the intensity will fall. The drop will expand linearly, until the central intensity reaches 0 and the drop fades away.