Imitating the behavior of bees: Spanish scientists have created swarm robots
Scientists from the University of Barcelona have designed and manufactured 35 kilobots equipped with tiny legs, LED lights, and an infrared light receiver. This discovery is a significant step in the development of swarm robots.
These bots were programmed to perform dance moves similar to those used by scout bees. In the experiments, each robot was tasked with finding a potential nesting site for the colony and then reaching a consensus among the other robots on the optimal location, SEEDS writes.
The behavior of the bots was modeled after scouting bees, which perform a “dance” – a series of rapid movements that oscillate to form a figure eight to convey information about the distance and direction to a potential nesting site or the type and size of food supply.
Experiments have shown that a swarm of cyborgs can collectively make consensus decisions in a decentralized manner, similar to bees, and choose the best path to a goal.
This behavior opens up new possibilities for using swarm robots for medical purposes, such as tracking disease processes or body abnormalities in patients, as well as in search and rescue missions that may be risky for humans.
