Researchers from Harvard University in Massachusetts have developed a self-organizing swarm of robots called Kilobots. The Kilobots requires no intervention once an initial set of instructions has been delivered. Four robots mark the origin of a coordinate system, all the other robots receive a 2-D image that they should mimic, and then using very primitive behaviors they take turns moving towards an acceptable position. The Kilobots cam also correct their own mistakes in a cooperative manner. Each robot moves using two vibrating motors that allow it to slide across a surface on its rigid legs. An infrared transmitter and receiver allow it to communicate with a few of its neighbors and measure their proximity, but the robots are myopic and have no access to a bird’s-eye view. For now, the Kilobots provide an essential test bed for AI algorithms. The Kilobot robot design and software are available open-source for non-commercial use. and they have been licensed to a manufacturer of small mobile robots.
Source: Harvard University
