Kilobots: self-organizing system of 1024 mini-robots

Back in 2011, a small note appeared on Habré about mini-robots that can act quite well together (under the strict guidance of a team of researchers from Harvard). The developers are exploring on these miniature robots the possibility of creating serious self-organizing systems capable of performing useful tasks (the study of environmental conditions, the removal of harmful substances, the study of territories after natural and man-made disasters).

Previously, the system showed good results, but developers could control 10-100 robots at the same time, no more. Now the team has achieved another success: more than 1,000 robots have managed to organize themselves, to be exact, 1024. The robots themselves are called Kilobots (actually, everything is logical).
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Each of the robots is a device with a diameter of about 3 centimeters, which is powered by a 3.4V battery. Robots have three rigidly fixed legs with two vibration motors between the legs (the legs do not move, the movement is carried out by means of motors).

Between themselves, the robots communicate through infrared signals, which are perceived by all the nearest neighbors of the robot that emitted the signal. The behavior of these devices is somewhat similar to the behavior of ants: scientists have even been able to achieve the dragging of large objects by a group of such robots. I think everyone saw how ants carry a large caterpillar: at first a chaotic movement, where everyone pulls in his direction, turns into a purposeful movement in the direction of an anthill. The same with robots - in a couple of minutes they “understand” what they need to carry and where, and carry their burden, showing rather effective results.

According to the developers, the behavioral model of robots is limited to four types of commands: grouping, gradient formation, calculation of the distance from the starting point and localization. In addition, each microrobot monitors the position of its nearest neighbors - this is done so that the robots do not form a “bunch of little ones”, bumping and turning each other.

Now 1024 robots, as shown above, can create any complex shape given by the operator. The basis of the system is always a few microrobots (4 units), indicating the starting point of the construction, and all other robots are already grouped around a single center.

Via + cnet