The Technology Innovation Institute in the United Arab Emirates is developing a new paradigm for teaching robot swarms how to efficiently devote themselves to activities. The concepts may pique interest in developing more effective methods for commanding a large number of simple robots to perform more complex jobs autonomously, with little or no external communication.
Numerous previous studies have been conducted on coordinating swarms of drones to execute amazing tasks, such as a coordinated light show. However, these techniques frequently relied on centralised coordination, expensive equipment installed on each drone, or a combination of the two. The TII researchers are investigating several methods for scaling a swarm by combining a large number of simple robots with a few intelligent ones.
The basic premise is that this approach would enable swarms to operate in confined areas, such as deep underground, behind enemy lines, or in outer space. Eliseo Ferrante, a senior researcher at the TII, predicts additional futuristic situations, including the control of augmented natural cells used as robotic components.
This novel technique establishes a method for guiding the swarm through the use of a few specially equipped implicit leaders. “By lowering the required sensing and communication thresholds, these types of applications may become feasible even at the nanoscale,” he explained. This could pave the way for the development of fleets of nano-drones capable of eradicating cancer, repairing tissue, and curing disease in areas with little external connectivity.
