Swarm-bots
Each s-bot is a fully autonomous mobile robot capable of performing basic tasks such as autonomous navigation, perception of its surrounding environment, and grasping of objects. A s-bot is also able to communicate with other peer units and physically join either rigidly or flexibly to them, thus forming a swarm-bot. A swarm-bot is supposed to be capable of performing exploration, navigation and transportation of heavy objects on very rough terrains, especially when a single s-bot has major problems at achieving the task alone. The hardware structure is combined with a distributed adaptive control architecture inspired upon ant colony behaviours.
Using rigid and flexible connections, s-bots can form a swarm-bot having 1D or 2D structures. These structures can bend and take 3D shapes. Potential application of this type of swarm robotics are, for instance, semi-automatic space exploration, search for rescue or underwater exploration.
http://www.swarm-bots.org/index.php?main=3&sub=31&conpage=s
Symbrion
The main focus lies within the SYMBRION project consists in the investigation and development of novel principles of adaptation and evolution for symbiotic multi-robot organisms based on bio-inspired approaches and modern computing paradigms. When it is advantageous to do so, these swarm robots can dynamically aggregate into one or many symbiotic organisms and collectively interact with the physical world via a variety of sensors and actuators. The bio-inspired evolutionary paradigms combined with robot embodiment and swarm-emergent phenomena, enable the organisms to autonomously manage their own hardware and software organization. In this way, artificial robotic organisms become self-configuring, self-healing, self-optimizing and self-protecting from both hardware and software perspectives. This leads not only to extremely adaptive, evolve-able and scalable robotic systems, but also enables robot organisms to reprogram themselves without human supervision and for new, previously unforeseen, functionality to emerge. In addition, different symbiotic organisms may co-evolve and cooperate with each other and with their environment.
http://www.ipvs.uni-stuttgart.de/abteilungen/bv/lehre/studentische_arbeiten/studienarbeiten/MasterTh_Collective_Robotics/de
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