How an 8th grader used 200 ants and a maze to discover a way that could help scientists build smarter robots

A line of ants carrying food may seem like an ordinary sight, but for 13-year-old Seungah Chung, it raised a question that led to an award-winning scientific discovery.

The eighth-grade student from Beverly Vista Middle School in California designed an experiment using 200 red harvester ants and a custom-built maze to find out how the insects navigate back to their nest after finding food. Her findings suggest that the ants don't rely solely on chemical trails—they also use visual landmarks to find their way. The research earned her a place among the finalists in the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, one of the United States' premier STEM competitions for middle school students.

A question inspired by everyday life

Like many people, Seungah had often watched ants move in long, organised lines. But instead of simply observing them, she wondered how insects with brains no larger than a pinhead could travel considerable distances, locate food and still return without losing their way.


Scientists already know that ants communicate by leaving pheromone trails for others to follow. Seungah wanted to investigate whether they also depended on visual cues in their surroundings.

Putting 200 ants to the test

To answer the question, she worked with 200 red harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus). Groups of 15 ants at a time were released into a T-shaped maze, where a small piece of tangerine served as the food reward.

The maze included several artificial landmarks—fake leaves, sea rocks and colourful building blocks—placed along the route. After allowing the ants to learn the path, Seungah tested whether they could successfully retrace it.

Running the experiment repeatedly across different groups helped ensure the results were reliable.

The experiment took an unexpected turn

The crucial test came after the ants had memorised the route.

Instead of moving the food, Seungah rearranged the landmarks inside the maze.

The effect was immediate. Many ants became confused and headed in the wrong direction, even though the food remained exactly where it had been. The change suggested the insects were using surrounding objects as navigation guides rather than relying only on scent trails or remembering a sequence of turns.

Her findings indicate that visual landmarks play an important role in how red harvester ants navigate.

Why scientists care

Although the project focused on ants, its implications extend well beyond insect behaviour.

Understanding how tiny-brained insects efficiently navigate complex environments could help researchers develop autonomous robots capable of finding their way using minimal computing power. Insights from animal behaviour have long inspired advances in robotics and artificial intelligence, and ant navigation continues to be an active area of scientific research.

The experiment also demonstrates how small changes in an animal's environment can reveal the strategies it uses to solve problems.

National recognition

Seungah's research earned her a spot among the finalists in the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, which recognises outstanding scientific research by middle school students across the US.

Beyond science, she enjoys creating art and volunteers with Ariari21, helping paint murals at homeless shelters and senior living communities. She hopes to pursue a career in microbiology.

Curiosity at the heart of discovery

Seungah's project began with something most people ignore—a trail of ants walking across the ground.

By asking a simple question and designing a carefully controlled experiment, she showed that red harvester ants rely on visual landmarks to navigate. Her work serves as a reminder that meaningful scientific discoveries often begin with everyday observations and the curiosity to investigate them.