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Hello

Started By Cypherf0x , Nov 11 2014 8:36 AM

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12 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Cypherf0x - Posted November 11 2014 - 8:36 AM

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LocationArlington, VA

I've recently started getting into antkeeping. I've always had a fascination with ants and played a lot of sim ant as a kid. Ant farms never really had an appeal to me but the other day I saw a youtube video at random and was amazed at some of the formicarium after a few days of watching videos.

I'm a computer engineer by schooling and a network infrastructure engineer for the cellular industry by trade. I'm a US Navy veteran serving in submarines and cyberwarfare. I did some defense contracting once I was out and also some space based work programming flight software on satellites.

Swarm intelligence fascinates me so I can watch ants all day. Individually pretty simple but in groups they're one of the most successful organisms on the planet. The application of that to computational problems, robots, and such is something I can really geek out on.

While I'm more of an electrical engineering and computer science person I've done a bit of mechanical engineering as well so I can put those skills to good use designing things for ants. I really like the visibility of the AntsCanada omni nests so I'll likely be on a laser cut acrylic tangent for a while.

All of my working design files are on Github and final optimized 3d printed items are on my Thingiverse

If you need something 3d printed I'm on 3d Hubs

All of my designs are open source licensed under CC-Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International unless otherwise noted, but it'll be a rare exception.

#2 Offline dean_k - Posted November 11 2014 - 9:27 AM

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LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

Welcome.

I currently have an ant nest in Omni nest vertical. The visibility is really nice although it's very easy to see how messy the outworld gets so fast. You drop them a fly and they will dissect it and take only gaster inside leaving all other pieces in the outworld.

You might also look at Tar Heel ant (google it) for more natural looking nest.

Edited by dean_k, November 11 2014 - 9:28 AM.

#3 Offline drtrmiller - Posted November 11 2014 - 10:01 AM

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Hey and welcome.

First, SimAnt is awesome. I was just talking about it yesterday in chat, here.

I'm working on a laser-cut acrylic design that is eerily similar in style to one you posted earlier in another topic, that I hope to release in a few weeks. Similar to your own, the design will be modular and expandable.

Winter is not the best time to get started with this hobby in the northern hemisphere, but it's a good thing you found us and can read up and get help in time for ant season in Spring.

You may find the other project I'm working on, Flourish, fascinating. I'm pioneering a number of advancements never before seen in a commercial formicarium. Considering your background, I'd love your feedback and maybe even your help :~)

Hope to see you around, and best of luck.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 11 2014 - 10:02 AM.

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#4 Offline Crystals - Posted November 11 2014 - 11:01 AM

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Welcome.

I agree, the bigger the colony, the more fascinating it is.

What part of the world are you located in?

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#5 Offline dspdrew - Posted November 11 2014 - 11:08 AM

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Welcome. I'm always happy to see more technically-minded "makers" join the forum. Like Crystal, I too would like to know where you're from.

My Ant Colonies | My Projects | Ants for Sale | Ant Keeping Products | Southern California Ant Map

#6 Offline Cypherf0x - Posted November 11 2014 - 12:05 PM

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LocationArlington, VA

I'm in Nashville, TN

All of my working design files are on Github and final optimized 3d printed items are on my Thingiverse

If you need something 3d printed I'm on 3d Hubs

All of my designs are open source licensed under CC-Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International unless otherwise noted, but it'll be a rare exception.

#7 Offline dermy - Posted November 11 2014 - 12:20 PM

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Welcome to the forum! Your lucky you don't have a ton of snow like we do in the Great White North

Nice dog by the way!

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#8 Offline dean_k - Posted November 11 2014 - 12:41 PM

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LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

Ants living in his dog's fur ...

Could work.

#9 Offline Cypherf0x - Posted November 11 2014 - 12:41 PM

Advanced Member

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30 posts

LocationArlington, VA

Hey and welcome.

First, SimAnt is awesome. I was just talking about it yesterday in chat, here.

I'm working on a laser-cut acrylic design that is eerily similar in style to one you posted earlier in another topic, that I hope to release in a few weeks. Similar to your own, the design will be modular and expandable.

Winter is not the best time to get started with this hobby in the northern hemisphere, but it's a good thing you found us and can read up and get help in time for ant season in Spring.

You may find the other project I'm working on, Flourish, fascinating. I'm pioneering a number of advancements never before seen in a commercial formicarium. Considering your background, I'd love your feedback and maybe even your help :~)

Hope to see you around, and best of luck.

Awesome, and sure I'd like to help. I've come across some of those designs as I was searching. I was thinking about ways to automate humidity and temperature control inside of a nest with an Arduino or RaspberryPi.

All of my working design files are on Github and final optimized 3d printed items are on my Thingiverse

If you need something 3d printed I'm on 3d Hubs

All of my designs are open source licensed under CC-Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International unless otherwise noted, but it'll be a rare exception.

#10 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted November 11 2014 - 1:05 PM

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LocationCalifornia

Welcome to the forum.

#11 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted November 11 2014 - 1:50 PM

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LocationIndiana

Welcome!

If you are a brand new beginner, check out AntsCanada on youtube. He has ~30 tutorials on ants and still going, you might also find some other interesting stuff there too.