Emergent structures assembled by large swarms of simple robots

Abstract

Traditional architecture relies on construction processes that require careful planning and strictly defined outcomes at every stage; yet in nature, millions of relatively simple social insects collectively build large complex nests without any global coordination or blueprint. Here, we present a testbed designed to explore how emergent structures can be assembled using swarms of active robots manipulating passive building blocks in two dimensions. The robot swarm is based on the toy "bristlebot"; a simple vibrating motor mounted on top of bristles to propel the body forward. Since shape largely determines the details of physical interactions, the robot behavior is altered by carefully designing its geometry instead of uploading a digital program. Through this mechanical programming, we plan to investgate how to tune emergent structural propertes such as the size and temporal stability of assemblies. Alongside a physical testbed with 200 robots, this work involves comprehensive simulation and analysis tools. This simple, reliable platorm will help provide beter insight on how to coordinate large swarms of robots to construct functional structures.