The term individual-based modelling describes a group of simulation, in which the local rules of interaction between elements of the system are specified, and then an evolution of the system consisting of many such elements is investigated by computer simulation. Using this approach, a complex global behaviour of a model is obtained as a result of many simultaneous, distributed in space, local and simple interactions.

Individual-based models are natural for many physical, chemical or biological systems, whose behaviour is a result of interactions of many active elements distributed in space. They could be especially beneficial when, besides a mere numerical agreement with a physical system, the model should map its structure and topology. For such systems, individual-based modelling can be an attractive substitute for models based on differential equations apparatus. Moreover individual-based approach makes it possible to work with models of complex biological systems, which would be impossible even to formulate in traditional mathematical frameworks. Cellular automata, lattice gas automata, molecular dynamics and particle models are well known formal context for individual-based modelling.

DigiHive environment is an original, artificial, complete, low level, and closed environment consisting of space, moving objects, and rules which govern their interactions. The environment operates on two levels. On the first level, entities move and collide. Collisions result in rebounding off entities or randomly changing their internal structures. On the second level some structures of entities are capable of inducing specific changes in other entities. Types of the changes are encoded in structures of entities in simplified Prolog language. The simulation can start from any initial configuration of entities thus allowing to model various systems.