The I-SWARM project: Intelligent small world autonomous robots for micro-manipulation

Abstract

This paper presents the visions and initial results of the I-SWARM project funded by the European Commission. The goal of the project is to build the first very large-scale artificial swarm (VLSAS) with a swarm size of up to 1,000 micro-robots with a planned size of 2 × 2 × 1 mm3. First, the motivation for such a swarm is described and then first considerations and issues arising from the robots' size resembling "artificial ants" and the MST approach taken to realize that size are given. The paper will conclude with a list of possible scenarios inspired by biology for such a robot swarm. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.