Created by a swarm of robots that self-organize without a template, like living cells

An international team of researchers has demonstrated a system of tiny robots that interact with each other and demonstrate the biological principles of self-organization. In other words, they behave like cells of a living organism.

The scientific article was published on December 19, 2018 in the journal Science Robotics .

Most importantly, the researchers managed to force a swarm of 300 robots to organize themselves, not following a given pattern. Each coin-sized robot received only a few basic rules on how to communicate with relatives. The interaction was carried out via infrared communication directly with neighboring mechanisms.

Of course, this is not the first artificial swarm of robots, writes MIT Review. However, in previous developments, each swarm had a programmed final form, which members had to compose. In other words, this form was predetermined by researchers. In this case, the template was not asked: “It is interesting that there is no master plan; these forms are the result of simple interactions between robots, ”says Sabine Hauert from the laboratory of robotics at the University of Bristol, who participated in the study.

Scientists say that this is only proof of the concept - and the first steps towards something rather interesting. “Swarms are adaptable, dynamic and reliable, so damage means that robots can simply dig in new areas again,” explains James Sharp, a project participant from the Institute of Science and Technology of Barcelona.

In the future, the self-organization of robots can be used, for example:

• in the construction of complex structures;
• for research of new territories;
• in astronautics: the construction of objects in orbit, the study of distant planets with the transfer back of the detected information.

Of course, these are not the only options for the use of swarm intelligence.