Logic Gates + Crabs

In 2011 a computational science study suggested that by using the swarming nature of soldier crabs, combined with computing logic gates, you could theoretically generate computing power with crabs.

Soldier Crabs are often seen in huge numbers and have a tendency to follow each other.

The researchers theorised that by constraining the crabs in a geometric environment they could be made to create computation inputs and outputs.

The researchers used 40 crabs for their study and noted the way they travelled. Crabs would follow each other through what computer people call ‘gates’ - in this case AND, OR and NOT gates. This crab-based logic would allow for a simple crab powered computer.

Because of the way Soldier Crabs follow each other, this proposed crab system would minimise input drift errors as the majority of crabs would make one choice or the other.

By extrapolating their data, the online community has done the math and calculated that you could run the original 1993 video game Doom with 16 billion crabs.

After the study was complete, the 40 individual crabs were released back into their habitat.

Pictured is a crab multi-tasking between browsing our amazing website, playing Doom and arranging for it’s ASOS package to be collected.