Copied over from the original site

This page was written for the original site in 2003. It describes future possibilities as they appeared at that time.

Most of the possibilities suggested here have been fulfilled since then, mostly by using techniques involving algorithmic programs built into databases. Few have used the biologically inspired systems described here.

Future projects

Stigmergic systems are not products, they are strategies. These strategies are based upon the strategies used in biological systems.

They can be applied to Web sites to attract particular types of visitors.

They can be used for knowledge management systems to deal with volatile or subjective information.

They can be used to facilitate coooperative or collarorative team work.

Listed on the left are some of the commercial areas we shall be exploring in the future. The descriptions are generic and are intended to explain more about how stigmergic systems can be used rather than go into detail for specific cases.

These particular applications have been selected because they are information management areas that are too difficult, or too expensive, to cope with efficiently using conventional database technology. Stigmergic systems can overcome the difficulties and costs by taking advantage of agent technology and the self-organizing property of stigmergy and evolutionary reproduction.