Boid

A boid is a computer simulation model developed by Craig Reynolds in 1986 to mimic the flocking behavior of birds and other animals. The term is derived from "bird-oid object," reflecting its purpose to create realistic group movement using simple rules. Boids are used in computer graphics, artificial life research, robotics, and gaming to generate lifelike animations of collective animal behavior.

The fundamental principles of boid simulation involve three primary rules that each agent, or "boid," follows simultaneously: separation, alignment, and cohesion. Separation ensures boids avoid crowding by maintaining distance from nearby individuals. Alignment guides boids to steer toward the average heading of neighbors, promoting synchronized movement. Cohesion encourages boids to move toward the average position of local flockmates, maintaining group unity.

In a typical simulation, each boid perceives its local environment within a certain radius and adjusts its velocity accordingly based on these rules. The combined effect of multiple boids applying these rules results in complex, coordinated group behavior that resembles natural flocking, schooling, or herding.

The boid model is notable for its simplicity and efficiency, allowing the emergence of sophisticated collective behaviors from the interaction of relatively straightforward algorithms. It has significantly influenced the study of decentralized systems and collective behavior, serving as a foundational concept in artificial life and autonomous system research.