Cooperating robots have the potential to achieve tasks more quickly and with a higher probability of success than a single robot acting alone. This paper describes a system of miniature mobile robots and the algorithms used to demonstrate cooperative plume tracking and source localization. The robots share sensor information, but individually decide a course of action based on their estimate of the plume eld. This algorithm was implemented on a group of miniature mobile robots capable of measuring temperature plumes. Experimental results are presented for a representative test run. We also describe a 'next-generation' miniature mobile robot under development that occupies only 0.25 cubic inches in volume.

The goal of this research was to develop and demonstrate cooperative 3-D plume tracing algorithms for miniature autonomous underwater vehicles. Applications for this technology include Lost Asset and Survivor Location Systems (L-SALS) and Ship-inPort Patrol and Protection (SP3). This research was a joint effort that included Nekton Research, LLC, Sandia National Laboratories, and Texas A&M University. Nekton Research developed the miniature autonomous underwater vehicles while Sandia and Texas A&M developed the 3-D plume tracing algorithms. This report describes the plume tracing algorithm and presents test results from successful underwater testing with pseudo-plume sources.

A distributed reconfigurable micro-robotic system is a collection of unlimited numbers of distributed small, homogeneous robots designed to autonomously organize and reorganize in order to achieve mission-specified geometric shapes and functions. This project investigated the design, control, and planning issues for self-configuring and selforganizing robots. In the 2D space a system consisting of two robots was prototyped and successfully displayed automatic docking/undocking to operate dependently or independently. Additional modules were constructed to display the usefulness of a selfconfiguring system in various situations. In 3D a self-reconfiguring robot system of 4 identical modules was built. Each module connects to its neighbors using rotating actuators. An individual component can move in three dimensions on its neighbors. We have also built a self-reconfiguring robot system consisting of 9-module Crystalline Robot. Each module in this robot is actuated by expansion/contraction. The system is fully distributed, has local communication (to neighbors) capabilities and it has global sensing capabilities.