Collective Robotics: From Social Insects to Robots

Abstract

Achieving tasks with a multiple robot system will require a control system that is both simple and scalable as the number of robots increases. Collective b e h a vior as demonstrated by social insects is a form of decentralized control that may prove useful in controlling multiple robots. Nature's several examples of collective behavior have motivated our approach to controlling a multiple robot system using a group behavior. Our mechanisms, used to invoke the group behavior, allow the system of robots to perform tasks without centralized control or explicit communication. We h a ve constructed a system of ve mobile robots capable of achieving simple collective tasks to verify the results obtained in simulation. The results suggest that decentralized control without explicit communication can be used in performing cooperative tasks requiring a collective behavior.

Bio-Inspired Communication for Self-Regulated Multi-Robot Sytems

“…hand bio-inspired self-organized task-allocation relies on the emergent group behaviours, such as emergent cooperation (Kube & Zhang, 1993), or adaptation rules (Liu et al, 2007). These solutions are more robust and scalable to large team sizes.…”

Artificial Societies and Social Simulation Using Ant Colony, Particle Swarm Optimization and Cultural Algorithms

“…The development of collective behavior in simulation can be achieved by simple scalable control systems as a form of decentralized control. Therefore, the work of (Kube, 1993) exhibited group behavior without the use of explicit communication. A more recent approach by (Marroco & Nolfi, 2007) set a collective task where a group of four robots developed the ability to reach two different target areas and to group in pairs at each different location.…”

Nonlinear Stable Formation Control Using Omnidirectional Images

“…There are also scalable approaches to control a large robotic group maintaining stability of the whole team control law (Feddema et al, 2002). Moreover some models are based on biologicallyinspired cooperation and behaviour-based schemes using subsumption approach (Kube & Zhang, 1993;Balch & Arkin, 1998;Fierro et al, 2005). In these behaviour-based cases stability is often attained because they rely on stable controls at the lower level while coordination is done at a higher level.…”