I am currently pursuing a  Master of Science in Computer Science at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.  My thesis project is to develop a simulation model of hunter-gatherers.  This model will be used to explore various learning strategies with a view to understanding the emergence of symbols and iconic communication.

The Band Project uses an agent-based simulation model to explore food-seeking activities of bands of hunter-gatherers. Band is implemented using Swarm, a simulation package featuring a variety of objects useful for performing and displaying modeling tasks. Swarm is implemented using Objective C with a set of custom class libraries.

Swarm was developed by the Santa Fe Institute.  Click here for more information on Swarm.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Implement a simulation model using a “vector voting?algorithm based on memories of past experience to search for food,
• Explore the relative performance of this model compared to a random movement model,
• Explore the relative performance alternative strategies for food gathering, characterized as “eat while you go?and “forage after you arrive,?/li>
• Explore the relative impact of alternative food consumption models, characterized as “first-come-first-served?and “share-and-share-alike,?/li>
• Explore the effect of using a Cultural Algorithm to guide the Vector Voting search process.

• The Vector Voting and Random Movement models have been implemented,
• The first-come-first-served and share-and-share-alike consumption models have been implemented,
• Trials comparing the Vector Voting and Random Movement models show superiority of the Vector Voting model using several metrics,
• Surprisingly, the first-come-first-served consumption model performs slightly worse than the share-and-share-alike model against several metrics,
• Interfaces have been developed to support a Cultural Algorithm module,
• Interfaces have been implemented to support the forage-after-you-arrive process.