Planning Techniques for Robotics

Mahmoud Abdelaal

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 1

 Lecture # 2

Ant Colony Optimization

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 2

 Introduction to ACO

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 3

Introduction to ACO
• Proposed by Marco Dorigo in 1991
• The Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) metaheuristic belongs to swarm
intelligence.
• Ant Colony (-based) Optimization – a way to solve optimization problems
based on the way that ants indirectly communicate directions to each
other.
• The ACO algorithm is inspired by finding shortest route from nest to food
source;

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 4

Introduction to ACO
• Ant Behavior

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 5

Introduction to ACO
• Ant Behavior

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 6

Introduction to ACO
• Ant Behavior

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 7

Introduction to ACO
• Ants explore the search space

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 8

Introduction to ACO
Ant Colony Behavior

• To search the food, ants take initially different directions, but those choosing
the shortest path will reach the food more quickly.
• On their way back to the nest, they will deposit pheromone and the shortest
path will be marked strongly by pheromone.
• Therefore, this path will be more attractive for the other ants.

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 9

Introduction to ACO
Pheromones
• Ants lay pheromone trails while traveling
• Pheromones accumulate with multiple ants using a path
• This behavior leads to the appearance of shortest paths

• Pheromones evaporate
• Avoids being trapped in local optima
small low evaporation ⇒ ⇒ slow adaptation
large high evaporation ⇒ ⇒ fast adaptation

➢ Pheromones = long-term memory of an ant colony

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 10

Introduction to ACO
Pheromone Trails
• Individual ants lay pheromone trails while travelling from the nest, to the nest
or possibly in both directions.
• The pheromone trail gradually evaporates over time.
• But pheromone trail strength accumulate with multiple ants using path.

Food source
Nest

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 11

Introduction to ACO
Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms: Basic Ideas
Ants are agents that:
• Move along between nodes in a graph.
• They choose where to go based on pheromone strength (and maybe other
things)
• An ant’s path represents a specific candidate solution.
• When an ant has finished a solution, pheromone is laid on its path,
according to quality of solution.

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 12

Introduction to ACO
Double bridge experiments: different lengths

The majority of ants follow the short path

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 13

Introduction to ACO
The Obstacle Experience
• When an obstacle is placed on their route, the ants end up taking the shortest
path between the nest and the food source.

The Ability of ants for finding food using the shortest pathway.

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 14

Thank you for your attention !

Good Luck !

Mahmoud Abdelaal Planning Techniques for Robotics_@_BFCAI 15