Photos and videos of self-assembling
robots forming patterns


[ Overview ] [ Photos ] [ Videos ] [ Publications ] [ Contact ]


  Overview


There are several examples of robotic systems in which mobile autonomous robots self-assemble into a larger connected robotic entity. The self-assembled entity can tackle tasks that are beyond the capabilities of the individual constituent robots. However, existing systems are for the most part incapable of forming different, specific morphologies. This restricts the adaptability of such systems, since certain tasks can be more efficiently carried out by self-assembled entities with specialised morphologies. An entity with an elongated structure, for example, can cross wide holes, whereas a more dense structure provides more stability for rough terrain navigation.

We propose a novel distributed mechanism that allows autonomous mobile robots to self-assemble into specific morphologies. Global morphologies are `grown' using strictly local visual perception only. Robots that are part of the connected entity indicate where new robots should attach in order to extend the local structure appropriately. We demonstrate the efficacy of the mechanism by letting groups of 7 real robots self-assemble into different morphologies (line, star, arrow, and rectangle).

    

    




  Photos








              


              

              










  Videos




    

Video of 7 robots forming a line morphology. MPEG1 ~20MB
    

Video of 7 robots forming an arrow morphology. MPEG1 ~21MB
    

Video of 7 robots forming a rectangle morphology. MPEG1 ~32MB
    

Video of 7 robots forming a star morphology. MPEG1 ~27MB
    

Simulation of 29 robots forming a star morphology. MPEG1 ~21MB
    

Simulation of 29 robots forming a star morphology as seen from one of the robots. (.avi) MPEG4 ~41MB




  Publications


Part of this study has been submitted to IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Magazine and to the IEEE Transactions on Robotics.




  Contact


Webpages:

Swarm-bots: www.swarm-bots.org
Swarmanoid: www.swarmanoid.org
Anders' homepage: http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~alyhne
Rehan's homepage: http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~rogrady
Marco's homepage: http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~mdorigo

Address:

IRIDIA - ULB
50 Avenue F. Roosevelt - CP 194/9
1050 Bruxelles
Belgium



This is the end - now go program a robot or a hundred...