A 鈥渟warm鈥� of simple-minded robots that teams up to move an object too heavy for them to manage individually has been demonstrated by robotics researchers.
The robots cannot communicate and must act only on what they can see around them. They follow simple rules to fulfil their task 鈥� mimicking the way insects work together in a swarm.
The robots were developed by Marco Dorigo at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, along with colleagues at the Institute of Cognitive Science and Technology in Italy and the Autonomous Systems Laboratory and Dalle Molle Institute for the Study of Artificial Intelligence, both in Switzerland.
Advertisement
鈥淚n the future we might have robots that actively seek help from others when they come up a problem they can鈥檛 solve alone,鈥� says Dorigo, 鈥淔or example if a robot can鈥檛 climb an obstacle without tipping over it might go back and get others to climb over as a group.鈥�
In experiments, six of the cylindrical robots were able to drag an object across the floor of a room. Working autonomously, they locate and assemble around the object and either grab hold of it directly or of another robot nearby, before slowly dragging it towards a target.
Mapping out
A video shows the six Swarm-bot robots .
Another video clip, shown at 10 times normal speed, shows a larger team of robots working together to map out a path from a red object and a blue target. This strategy is necessary because none of the bots can see far enough to work out the route between the object and its target for themselves.
Each Swarm-bot is 19 centimetres high, has a rotating turret, a claw-like gripper and moves using a combination of caterpillar tracks and wheels. Each also has a basic computer and is loaded with the same software.
The simple rules laid out in this software allow the robots to perform complex actions as a group. A swarm of ants uses a similar strategy to tackle difficult jobs like carrying a large object.
Evolving rules
The rules preloaded onto the Swarm-bots were 鈥渆volved鈥� to suit the particular task and incorporated genetics-based algorithms and a detailed 3D simulation (see Nuclear reactors 鈥榚volve鈥� inside supercomputers).
鈥淚n the object transport scenario they search for a red object and grasp onto it,鈥� explains Dorigo. 鈥淲hen they do that they also change colour from blue to red.鈥� This means a cluster of bots is 鈥渃onnected鈥� to the object. When the bots cannot see any more blue 鈥� meaning they are all linked together 鈥� they start dragging the object towards its target.
The robots can adjust their caterpillar tracks, to ensure they are all pulling in the right direction. 鈥淓ach robot has a traction sensor inside that detects all the external forces on it,鈥� explains Dorigo. A robot uses its sensor to identify any conflicting forces, and then changes direction accordingly.
Dorigo is now working on a swarm of robots that could operate in a human environment. 鈥淚t is called Swarmanoid and will have three different kinds of robots,鈥� he explains. Some robots will be able to crawl along like Swarm-bots, others will be able to climb walls, and others still will be able to fly, he says.
