Like 3D printing, I was thinking of cutting holes in cardboard that as a stack could form an ant colony housing. This in itself could be as simple or as convoluted as the square area and geometric cutouts allow.
But wait, what if, the pieces of card could slide (very slowly) relative to the other adjoining pieces of cardboard? Of, course the two ends would stay stationary but the stack inside would change tunnels and openings over time. Changing tunnels means changing scent marks.
I say slowly because we don't want crush members of the colony and there would have to be sanctuary areas, non moving cards , for brood and totally bewildered ant recovery.
Doable yes, interesting yes, something ants might like probably not.-- wjt, Feb 22 2022 Prior art? https://www.imdb.co...55/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1Slidy bits & captive occupants... [neutrinos_shadow, Feb 22 2022] Doable.... how? I can't quite visualize this I'm sorry.-- 21 Quest, Feb 22 2022 Hmm ... I think this *particular* kind of formic-acidy smell means ... "Get the fuck out, it's a trap!"-- pertinax, Feb 22 2022 Perhaps sensors, so a layer can detect "no ants therefore move", as I think a "whole step" at each move would work better than a slow shift between states. But either way, pretty cool!-- neutrinos_shadow, Feb 22 2022 It's when the ants start remodelling your house that you know you've taken it too far. "Welcome to my home. The bathroom is the second door on the left" "but there are no doors on the left"-- pocmloc, Feb 22 2022 //are you any smarter than an ant?// No, why do you ask?-- pocmloc, Feb 22 2022 //Doable// Think of this is a deck of cards with a hole through the centre. if one of the cards is slid partially out of the deck the hole closes. Now complex it up a bit with multiple holes, hole sizes, card sizes thicknesses. An ant haven.
May be a cam connection to a tab at the edge of each piece of cardboard for the move. Or rigid wire push pull not unlike those wooden moving sculptures. All driven by motors and hobby board.
The pieces of cardboard could have a chemicals on sliding surface that when layer hole is sealed away, treats ant signals
No, Not social enough.-- wjt, Feb 24 2022 Does this make [wjt] the antagonist in this plot?-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 24 2022 random, halfbakery