| On 2014-01-21 at 14:00:00 (Brussels Time) |
Abstract
Self-assembly and aggregation are fundamental tasks in distributed robotics. They are commonly performed either through active agents instructed with sets of local rules of interaction or through shape-matching passive agents under external random agitation. In this talk I will present an alternative, closed-loop control approach to the self-assembly of passive agents based on real-time analysis of agent trajectories and control of global boundary conditions. Two platforms for fluidic self-assembly of respectively macro- and microscopic agents will be contextually described to demonstrate the validity of the approach across physical scales. A conceptual framework encompassing the works in a broader perspective will be finally outlined.
Keywords
self-assembly, closed-loop control, passive agents, distributed systems, optical tracking, fluidics
