A team of scientists at Kobe University in Japan has designed a computer based on the activities of a large group of soldier crabs. The logic gates of the computer exploit the swarming behavior of the crustaceans to compute and accomplish tasks more efficiently.  The concept is a form of biomimicry, where systems and elements in nature help solve and improve human problems.

By unleashing 40 real crabs into a specially created channel, the scientist observed their behavior and designed logic gates that mimicked the pattern of the crabs. The findings can possibly help create an unconventional computing model.

Kobe University