Boids Flocking

No leader, no plan — just three local rules per bird, and a whole flock comes alive. Tune alignment, cohesion, and separation.

Boids Flocking StudioLive

emergent flocking · 3 simple rules

Controls

Three local rules — alignment, cohesion, separation — produce lifelike flocking with no leader and no global plan.

Presets

Boids

Alignment

Cohesion

Separation

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Boids140

Rulesalign · cohere · separate

Behavioremergent flocking

Governing equation

v_{i} \leftarrow v_{i} + 1.0 (\overset{ˉ}{v} - v_{i}) + 1.0 (\overset{ˉ}{p} - p_{i}) + 1.4 j \sum (p_{i} - p_{j})

Reading this result: Balanced rules: alignment, cohesion, and separation trade off to produce the classic lifelike flock — order with no leader.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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How it works

Craig Reynolds' boids model gives each agent three steering rules based only on nearby neighbors: align with their heading, steer toward their center, and avoid crowding. From these local rules, global flocking emerges — a landmark example of self-organization and swarm intelligence.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this boids flocking simulation tool really free?▾

Yes. Boids Flocking runs entirely in your browser using your device's own compute, so local use is free forever. You only pay Compute Tokens if you scale a job to the cloud.

Do I need to install anything?▾

No. Everything runs client-side in a modern browser — no downloads, no license, no account required to start.

Can I save or share my simulation?▾

Create a free account to save projects, and use a shareable embed or minted DOI to publish a live, interactive version anywhere.

How accurate are the results?▾

The solver uses established numerical methods, but results are for research and educational purposes and should be validated against experiment or professional review before you rely on them.