Startup Mireta Uses Slime Mold Logic for Urban Planning

Mireta Urban Dynamics is a startup that has developed software for urban planners by replicating the network-forming strategies of slime mold, rather than using traditional AI training methods. This approach draws inspiration from a 2010s experiment where slime mold created a network resembling the Japanese rail system when presented with oat flakes representing Tokyo municipalities. Mireta's software copies the biological growth patterns of slime mold to design efficient urban networks.

Raphael Kay, cofounder of Mireta, explained that the software leverages "intelligence that has been evolved over a large number of evolutionary cycles." The tool allows urban planners to incorporate additional data layers, such as population distribution and flood maps, to refine network designs. While AI can assist in generating these supplementary data layers, the core functionality of the software is rooted in biological intelligence, not AI algorithms.

The Mireta tool can be utilized for both designing entirely new transportation networks and suggesting modifications to existing ones. The company has initiated collaborations with design firms on several projects, including a road network for a college campus and a new metro network. These designs are currently in the proposal phase with clients, and Kay anticipates their progression to implementation.