Department of Electronics &Instrumentation Engineering

F.E.T. M.JP Rohilkhand University

Bareilly (UP)-243006

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the seminar report on Swarm Robotics submitted by VikasYadav
Roll no 14EI58 in partial fulfillmentof requirementof the degree of B.Tech in electronics
and Instrumentation Engineering embodies the work done by him my guidance

Signature of the seminar coordinator

Mr. Ajay Yadav
EI deptt.
Date:-

1
 A
Seminar report
ON
Swarm Robotics

Submitted in the partial fulfilment of requirement of the degree of Bachelor Of

Technology in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering

SUBMITTED TO:- SUBMITTED BY:-

Mr. Ajay YadavVikasYadav
seminarInchargeRoll No:- 14EI58
Deptt.of EI B.Tech , (VII semester)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
MAHATMA JYOTIBA PHULE ROHILKHAND UNIVERSITY,
BAREILLY-243006

2017-2018
2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Behind every achievement lies an unfathomable sea of gratitude to those who actuated it, without
them it would never have into existence .To them we lay the word of gratitude imprinted within
us.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to our respected Dean of University Dr. A.K Gupta,
for all the blessing and help provided during the period of seminar work.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Yograj Daskh Head of the Department of
electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, for the continuous help over the period of seminar
work.
I am indebted to my internal guide Mr. Ajay Yadav, Assistant Professor, Department of
electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, for his constant help and creative ideas over the
period of seminar work.
I am indebted to my internal guide Mr. RituRajan, Guest Faculty, Department of electronics
and Instrumentation Engineering, for his constant help and creative ideas over the period of
seminar work
I would like to extend my warmest thanks to allUnflinching support and encouragement from the
membersof my family, friends and staff member in FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND
TECHNOLOGYMAHATMA JYOTIBA PHULE ROHILKHAND UNIVERSITY,
BAREILLYhelped me a long way to complete my seminar work. I must thank them all from my
depths of my heart.

3
 SYNOPSIS

Swarm robotics is currently one of the most important application areas for swarm intelligence.
Swarms provide the possibility of enhanced task performance, high reliability (fault tolerance),
low unit complexity and decreased cost over traditional robotic systems. They can accomplish
some tasks that would be impossible for a single robot to achieve. Swarm robots can be applied to
many fields, such as flexible manufacturing systems, spacecraft, Inspection/maintenance,
construction, agriculture, and medicine work.
Swarm-bots are a collection of mobile robots able to self-assemble and to self-organize in order to
solve problems that cannot be solved by a single robot. These robots combine the power of swarm
intelligence with the flexibility of self-reconfiguration as aggregate swarm-bots can dynamically
change their structure to match environmental variations.
Swarm robots are more than just networks of independent agents, they are potentially
reconfigurable networks of communicating agents capable of coordinated sensing and interaction
with the environment. Robots are going to be an important part of the future. In the near future, it
may be possible to produce and deploy large numbers of inexpensive, disposable, meso-scale
robots. Although limited in individual capability, such robots deployed in large numbers can
represent a strong cumulative force similar to a colony of ants or swarm of bees. Once robots are
useful, groups of robots are the next step, and will have tremendous potential to benefit mankind.
Software designed to run on large groups of robots is the key needed to unlock this potential.

4
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. ABSTRACT
2. INTRODUCTION
3. LITERARY SURVEY
4. EVOLUTION OF SWARM
5. WORKING OF SWARM
I. SWARM INTELLIGENCE
II. SOFTWARE FROM INSECTS
III. PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION
5. SWARM VS SINGLE ROBOTICS
6. TYPES OF SWARM
I. MODULAR ROBOTS
II. ASTEROID EATERS
III. A MADMEN SWARM
IV. NUBOT
V. THE WATER SKATER

7. APPLICATIONS OF SWARM ROBOTS

8. FUTURE SCOPE
8. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
9. CONCLUSION
10.REFERENCE

5
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Swarm robotics is the study of how large number of relatively simple physically embodied
agents can be designed such that a desired collective behavior emerges from the local
interactions among agents and between the agents and the environment. It is a novel approach to
the coordination of large numbers of robots. It is inspired from the observation of social insects -
--ants, termites, wasps and bees--- which stand as fascinating examples of how a large number of
simple individuals can interact to create collectively intelligent systems.
Social insects are known to coordinate their actions to accomplish tasks that are beyond the
capabilities of a single individual: termites build large and complex mounds, army ants organize
impressive foraging raids, ants can collectively carry large preys. Such coordination capabilities
are still beyond the reach of current multi-robot systems.
As robots become more and more useful, multiple robots working together on a single task will
become common place. Many of the most useful applications of robots are particularly well
suited to this swarm approach. Groups of robots can perform these tasks more efficiently, and
can perform them in fundamentally difficult to program and coordinate. Swarm robots are more
than just networks of independent agents; they are potentially reconfigurable networks of
communicating agents capable of coordinated sensing and interaction with the environment.
Intelligent traffic for solving urban traffic management has become the people's consensus such
as advanced and sophisticated video surveillance system as an important component of
intelligent transportation for image acquisition, on- site snapshot, after taking of evidence and
other important tasks. This method that combines embedded WEB technology with Internet to
implement remote traffic monitoring through Web Server applications solidified in embedded
ARM processor.

1.1 Need of Swarm Concept

Sometimes it is impossible to complete a task by a single person or it becomes quite difficult for
that person to complete the work. In such cases there is need of a team or group of members that
can collaboratively work and make the work of the person or the user easy. The concept of the
SWARMROBOTICS is based on this basis of grouping of multiple robots or devices and
performing the desired task.

6
1.2 Swarm Robotics-The Concept

SwarmroboticsisimplementationofSwarmintelligence.SwarmIntelligence(SI)isanarti-
ficialintelligencetechniquebasedaroundthestudyof collectivebehaviorindecentralized,self-
organizedsystems.Swarmroboticsisanewapproachtothecoordinationofmulti-robotsystems
whichconsistoflargenumbersofmostly simplephysicalrobots.Itissupposedthatadesired
collectivebehavior emergesfromtheinteractionsbetweentherobotsandinteractionsofrobots
withtheenvironment.Thisapproachemergedonthefield ofartificial Swarmintelli-gence,as
wellasthebiologicalstudies ofinsects,antsandotherfieldsinnature, whereswarmbehaviouroccurs.The
mainobjective ofSwarmroboticsistoreducetheworkloadandincreasethe efficiencyofthesystem

FEATURES AND APPLICATTION

7
TheresearchofSwarmroboticsistostudythe design ofrobots,
theirphysicalbodyandtheircontrollingbehaviors.
1. Itisinspiredbutnotlimitedbytheemergentbehaviorobservedinsocialinsects,call
edSwarm intelligence.
2. Relativelysimpleindividualrulescanproducealargesetofcomplexswarmbehav
iors.
3. Akey-componentisthecommunication
betweenthemembersofthegroupthatbuildasystemofconstantfeedback.
4. TheSwarmbehaviorinvolvesconstantchangeofindividualsincooperationwitho
thers,as wellasthebehaviorofthewholegroup.
5. Unlikedistributedroboticsystemsingeneral,Swarmroboticsemphasizesalarge
numberof
robots,andpromotesscalability,forinstancebyusingonlylocalcommunication.
Thatlocal communication
forexamplecanbeachievedbywirelesstransmissionsystems,likeradiofre-
quencyorinfrared.
6. Videotrackingisanessentialtoolforsystematicallystudyingswarm-
behavior,eventhough othertrackingmethodsareavailable.
7. RecentlyBristolroboticslaboratorydevelopedanultrasonicpositiontrackingsys
temfor swarmresearchpurposes.
8. Bothminiaturizationandcostarekey-
factorsinswarmrobotics.Thesearetheconstraints
inbuildinglargegroupsofrobotics;thereforethesimplicity
oftheindividualteammember shouldbeemphasized.Thisshouldmotivateaswarm-
intelligent approachtoachievemeaning- fulbehavioratswarm-
level,insteadoftheindividuallevel.

8
Swarm Robotics the Idea

Fig.1.1 Swarm System

Fig 1.2 Swarm Robots performing task

9
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE SURVEY

TheconceptofSwarmIntelligence(SI)wasfirstintroducedbyGerardoBeni,SuzanneHack-
wood,andJingWang[8]whentheywereinvestigatingthepropertiesofsimulated,self-organizing
agentsintheframeworkofcellularroboticsystems.InProceedingsoftheSeventhAnnualMeet-
ingoftheRoboticsSocietyofJapan,Tokyo,Japan.EricBonabeau,MarcoDorigoandGuy
Theraulazextendedtherestrictivecontextofthisearlyworktoincludeanyattempttodesign
algorithmsordistributedproblem-solvingdevicesinspiredby thecollectivebehaviorofsocial
insectcolonies,suchasants,termites,bees,wasps,andotheranimalsocieties.SwarmIntelli- gence-
FromNaturaltoArtificialSystems.EricBonabeau,MarcoDorigo,andGuyTheraulaz.OxfordUnivers
ityPress.
Theygivethethreemajoradvantages ofSIRoboticapproach,sinceSIsystemshavethe
followingproperties.
1)Scalable:Thecontrolarchitectureofeachrobotissame,nomatterthenumberofrobots.

2)Flexible:Therobotsmaybeinsertedordeletedto/fromtheenvironment,norequirementfor
anychangeinthetaskoperation.
3)Robust:Notonlyduetounitredundancybutalsothroughminimalistunitdesign.

2.1 Bio-Inspired SensorSwarms

InJosephFronczekandNadipuramPrasadofNewMexicoStateUniversityhaveidentified thecritical
needfortechnologiesforquicklylocatingandrepairingpressureleaksincontained environments
liketheInternational SpaceStation.Thelocation,isolation,andrepairofatmo-
sphericpressureleaksareoneofthemainemergencieson whichthe crewoftheSpaceStation

10
isregularly trained.Ifthecrewfailstoaddressthepressureleakintheallottedtime,theyare
instructedtoabandonthestationviatheescapemodule. Suchleakscanstemfromacouple ofsources.
ErrorscanoccurduringtheoperationoftheISSEnvironmentalControlandLife
SupportSystem(ELCSS-anetworkofvalvesandpipingused to createavacuumenvironment
withintheISSforthepurposesofscientificexperiments).Inaddition,impactsfromspacede-
brisareathreattotheatmospheric integrityoftheStation. WhilefailuresintheECLSSare
frequentlyduetoafailedcomponentthatareeasilyidentified andsmallinnature,leaksoc- curring
duetodebrisimpactareoftenunpredictable.Byusingroboticsensorswarmsthatcan quickly
locateandrepairpressureleaks,criticaltimecanbeprovidedforthecrewstomake permanentrepairs.
Giventhetaskoflocating pressureleaks,twoquestionsmustbeanswered:Whereisthe
sourceofdepressurizationinthesystem, andhowextensiveistheleak[3]?Currently,thecrew
mustsearchtheentireSpaceStationenvironment,atimeconsuming prospectatbest.Sudden
pressureleakstend to causedisturbancesin the regularairflowpatternsinsidethe Station.Con-
sequently,ifthisshiftinairflow patternscanbedetectedquickly,allon-boardaircirculation
systemscanbesecuredandthenewpatternscausedbytheleakcanbeisolated.
Researchers oftenturntothenaturalworldforinspirationforsolvingproblemsbynovel
methods.Thecommon cockroachusesasmallappendagecoveredwiththousandsoftinyhairs
todetectdisturbancesinthesurroundingairalertingittopossiblethreats. Thecockroachin-
stinctivelyrunsinthedirectionofthewindsource[3]. Thisbehaviorisreferredtoasaposi-
tivetaxis(directedmovementtowardsastimulus). Additionally,whenthehiveisthreatened,
beeshavetheabilitytogatherandexertdefensivemeasuresagainstthedisturbingelement[3].
Throughcommunication, thebeescontributetothecollectiveintelligenceandenablefastre-
sponsetothethreat.Studiesshowthatbeesandotherinsectscanlocatefoodsourcesbysensing
theodorofthefood and useairflowsto navigatetowardthesource.Bymimickingthesenatural
systems,aswarmofbee-likesensorsthatcandetectdisturbancesinthesurroundingatmosphere
canbedeployedinalossofpressureeventtolocatetheleaksource,converge onthatsource,
andaffectrepairs

11
2.2 Under-SeaSensorNetworks

Although theuseofmannedandunmanned systemsinremote oceanexploration hasyieldeda

wealthofknowledgeaboutheretofore-unknownoceanicprocesses [4],theauthorshaveidenti-
fiedalackoftechnologiestoobserveorganismsandprocesseswithoutdisturbingthemasthey
movewiththenaturalmotionoftheoceans[4].Theyproposethiscanbeaccomplishedthrough
thedevelopmentofanautonomous,free-floatingunderwaterdevicethatcancollaborateorin-
teractwithothersuchdevicesthroughanacousticunderwater network.[4,5].Theyhopethis
willprovideinsightsintotheinteractions betweenoceancurrentsandunderwater ecosystems
andourimpactonthem[4]. Currentoceansensingtechnologies usesensorsthatareeither stationary
orguided.However,thenaturaldynamicssuchaswaves,tides,andcurrentsplaya
majorpartinoceanicinteractions [4].Truly completeobservation oftheseinteractions cannot
beachievedwithsensorsthatarenotsubjecttothosedynamics.
Networkedswarmsoftheproposedfree-floating sensorscouldcreatethree-dimensional
mapscoastalcirculation. Thesemapscouldgiveresearchersbetterunderstanding ofvarious
phenomenasuchasthespreadofpollutantsandtheevolutionofplanktoniccommunities.

2.3 SatelliteSwarms

OwenBrownofDefenseAdvancedResearchProjectsAgency(DARPA)andPaulEremenko
ofBoozAllenHamiltonhaveputforthavisionforwhattheytermresponsive space. They define
thisasthespeedwithwhichaspacesystemcanbemadetoreacttovariousformsof
uncertainty,rangingfromgeopolitical operationalrequirements totechnicalfailurestofluctu-
ationsintheacquisitionfundingstreamormoresimply, thecapability ofspacesystemsto
respondrapidlytouncertainty[8].Astheauthorsviewisthatlarge,monolithicspacecraftare
notoriouslyunresponsive, theyareproposingtheadoptionofafractionatedarchitecturewhere
asatelliteisdecomposedintoasetofsimilarordissimilar componentslinkedwirelesslywhile in
clusterorbits[8].Thesehomogenousorheterogeneoussatelliteswarmswouldworktogether
toprovideequivalentor,inmostcases,expandedcapabilities.DARPAsdemonstrator system
forthisarchitectureiscalledF6(Future,Fast,Flexible,Free-Flying,Fractionated Spacecraft
unitedbyInformationeXchange)[8].
Thereasonforproposingthisarchitecture istoproduceasystemthatcanmitigate,toa
certaindegree,theuncertaintythatispresentthroughoutthelifecycleofaspacesystem[8].

12
 Intheauthorsview,thisuncertaintycanbedecomposedintosixsub-categories.Technicalun-
certaintyinvolvesrisksfromsystemsinternaltothespacecraft).Environmentaluncertainty is
duetotransientsbeyondthenormallyexpectedrangeofenvironmentalconditions [8].Launch
uncertaintystemsfromrisksassociatedwiththe spacecraftreachingorbit.Demanduncertainty
duetochangesintheneedforservicesorcapabilities provided bythespacecraft. Require-
mentsuncertainty involvesrisksrelatedtouncertaintyinrequirementsfromthedesignphase
andiscausedbytheinteractionofunrelatedrequirements onseparate systemsonthespace- craft.
FundingStreamuncertaintystemsfromriskduetocompetingprogramsandexpense prioritization[8].
Thesolutionputforthin thispaperinvolvestheuseoffree-flyingmodulesin clusterorbits sharing
poweranddatathroughawirelessnetwork. Thiscreatesavirtualsatellite[8]. This
wouldenableaswarmofsatelliteswhereafailed(orimproved) componentcanbereplaced
withouttheneedforcomplexrendezvousordocking.Imagineaugmentingprocessorresources,
powergeneration,orpayloadcapabilities ontheflyonatemporaryorpermanentbasissimply
byaddingmodulestotheswarm.Asatelliteswarmcoulddisperse toavoidothersatellites or
enemymunitions.
Thisfractionatedarchitectureaddresseseachofthecategoriesofuncertainty. Technical
uncertainty isreducingbyminimizingriskduetofailedoroutdatedcomponentswithitsease
ofmodulereplacement.Environmentalrisksduetospacejunkorotherobjectscanbeavoided
bydispersingtheswarm. Launchuncertainty isaddressedbyallowingmodulestobeplaced
intoorbitby separate launchsources.Payloadandswarm compositionflexibilitymitigate risks
duetoDemandandRequirementsuncertainty. Finally,fundinguncertainty isreducedusing
incrementaldevelopmentofthesatelliteswarm.

2.4 Some Observations

Swarmrobotswereusedtoconstructa20ft. high tower, composed of15,000bricksthat

weighed1.1lbseach,providingawindowintothepossiblefutureofarchitectureandconstruc-
tion.Ajobthatwouldvetakenhumansseveralweekstocomplete,thelittleguyscompletedit inamere
three days. The robots were controlled by computers with complex algorithms and motion
sensors. They were able to detect and adapt to any natural disturbances as well, such as
turbulence, and either adjust to the issues or abort that ask completely.

13
 Thisisaratherbasicexperiment,butonethatshowsthepossibilities andprospectsof
swarmrobotics.ResearchersthroughoutSheffield institutionscreatedrobotswhosejobwasto
simplypushanobjectacrossthefloor, fromonesidetoanother. Theycouldalsoorganize
themselvesbypriorityafterbeingscatteredinaroom. Theycandothisbysensingifthere
isarobotinfrontofthem,andifthereis,turningimmediately. Ifnot,thentherobotkeeps
movingarounduntilitfindsone.Dr.RoderichGross,headoftheNaturalRoboticsLab,inthe
DepartmentofAutomaticControl andSystemsEngineeringattheUniversityofSheffield,says
thatswarmrobotscouldbeutilizedinmilitarysearch-and-rescuemissionsinareasunfit for
humans,inmicro-medicinewhileutilizingnanobots,andinindustrytomakeitmoreefficient andsafe.
Swarming RobotsCouldBetheServantsoftheFuture.Theauthoritativeabilityover
swarmrobotscouldprovetobehighlybeneficial,rangingfrommilitarytomedical. Formil-
itarypurposes,swarmrobotscouldcarry outtasksormissionsthatmaybetoodangerousfor
humansthemselvestogoon.Inthemedicalfield,theswarmrobotscouldplayasignificant roleinmicro-
medicine, inwhichtheywouldbeconsiderednanobotswhowouldtreathumans non-
invasively.Thisminiatureswarmofrobots coulddelivermedicinetothebodybytraveling
throughonesveins.
Kent, Leo.SwarmRobots:TheDroidWorkforceofthe Future.HumansInvent.Asingle robot
candetectobstaclesinaroom, sincetheir knowledgeisbased onlocality,upon gathering
theinformation needed,itissharedwiththerestoftheswarmsothattheyareawareofwhere
togoandwheretoavoidobstacles.Swarm robotscanalsobeusedtohelpoutindisastrous
situations,forinstanceafterarecentnaturaldisaster,theswarmcouldcommunicate witheach other
and humansbysharingwhat theyobserve[9].Aprojectofswarmrobots calledSymbrion
(SymbioticEvolutionary RobotOrganisms)iscurrentlybeingworkedontojointherobots
togetherasone. Thiscouldbebeneficial foranaturaldisastersuchasaflood,inwhichthe
swarmrobotsjointogethertomakearaft. Thoughthemalfunction rateofswarmrobotsis
high,itisnotmuchofathreat,sincenumbersarehigh,ifonerobotmalfunctions itdoesnot affectther

14
 CHAPTER 3
EVOLUTION OF SWARM
Researchers try to examine how collections of animals, such as flocks, herds and
schools, move in a way that appears to be orchestrated. A flock of birds moves like a
well choreographed dance troupe. They veer to the left in unison, and then suddenly they
may all dart to the right and swoop down towards the ground. How can they coordinate
their actions so well? In 1987, Reynolds created a boid model, which is a distributed
behavioral model, to simulate on a computer the motion of a flock of birds. Each boid is
implemented as an independent actor that navigates according to its own perception of
the dynamic environment.
A boid must observe the following rules. First, the avoidance rule says that a boid
must move away from boids that are too close so as to reduce the chance of in-air
collisions. Second, the copy rule says a boid must fly in the general direction that the
flock is moving by averaging the other boids velocities and directions. Third, the
center rule says that a boid should minimize exposure flocks exterior by moving
toward the perceived center of the flock. Flake added a fourth rule, view that indicates
that a boid should move laterally away from any boid that blocks its view.

This boid model seems reasonable if we consider it from another point of view, that of it
acting according to attraction and repulsion between neighbors in a flock. The repulsion
relationship results in the avoidance of collisions and attraction makes the flock keep
shape, i.e., copying movements of neighbors can be seen as a kind of attraction. The
Centre rule plays a role in both attraction and repulsion. The swarm behavior of the
simulated flock is the result of the dense interaction of the relatively simple behaviors of
the individual boids.
 CHAPTER 4

WORKING OF SWARM

4.1 Swarm Intelligence

Swarm intelligence describes the way that complex behaviors can arise from large numbers
of individual agents each following very simple rules. For example, ants use the approach to
find the most efficient route to the food source. Individual ants do nothing more than follow
the strongest pheromone trail left by other ants. But, by repeated process of trial and error by
many ants, the best route to the food is quickly revealed.

4.2 Software from insects

Local interactions between nearby robots are being used to produce large scale group
behaviors from the entire swarm. Ants, bees and termites are beautifully engineered
examples of this kind of software in use. These insects do not use centralized
communication; there is no strict hierarchy, and no one in charge.
However, developing swarm software from the top
down, i.e., by starting with the group application and trying to determine the individual
behaviors that it arises from, is very difficult. Instead a group behavior building blocks
that can be combined to form larger, more complex applications are being developed. The
robots use these behaviors to communicate, cooperate, and move relative to each other.
Some behaviors are simple, like following, dispersing, and counting. Some are more
complex, like dynamic task assignment, temporal synchronization, and gradient tree
navigation. There are currently about forty of these behaviors. They are designed to
produce predictable outcomes when used individually, are when combined with other
library behaviors, allowing group applications to be constructed much more easily.

4.3 Particle Swarm Optimization

Particle swarm optimization or PSO is a global optimization algorithm for dealing with
problems in which a best solution can be represented as a point or surface in an
dimensional space. Hypotheses are plotted in this space and seeded with an initial velocity,
as well as a communication channel between the particles. Particles then move through the
solution space, and are evaluated according to some fitness criterion after each time step.
Over time, particles are accelerated towards those particles within their communication
grouping which have better fitness values. The main advantage of such an approach over
other global minimization strategies such as simulated annealing is that the large numbers
of members that make up the particle swarm make the technique impressively resilient to
the problem of local minima.

In near future, it may be possible to produce and deploy large numbers of inexpensive,
disposable, meso-scale robots. Although limited in individual capability, such robots
deployed in large numbers can represent a strong cumulative force similar to a colony of
ants or swarm of bees.
 CHAPTER 5
SWARM ROBOTS VS SINGLE ROBOTS

A larger range of task domain

Greater efficiency
Improved system performance
Fault tolerance
Robustness
Lower economic cost
 CHAPTER 6
TYPES OF SWARM

6.1. Modular Robots

A module is essentially a small, relatively simple robot or piece of a robot. Modular robots
are made of lots of these small, identical modules. A modular robot can consist of a few
modules or many, depending on the robots design and the task it needs to perform. Some
modular robots currently exist only as computer simulations; others are still in the early
stages of development. But they all operate on the same basic principle- lots of little robots
can combine to create one big one. Modules cant do much by themselves. A reconfiguring
system also has to have:

Connections between the modules

Systems that govern how the modules move in relation to one
another.
Most modular, reconfiguring robots fit into one of the three categories :
Chain, lattice and modular configuration.

6.2. Chain robots

Chain robots are long chains that can connect to one another at
specific points. Depending on the number of chains and where they connect, these robots
can resemble snakes or spiders. They can also become rolling loops or bipedal, walking
robots. A set of modular chains could navigate an obstacle course by crawling through a
tunnel as a snake, crossing rocky terrain as a spider and riding a tricycle across a bridge as
a biped. Examples of chain robots are Palo Alto Research Centers (PARC) Polybot and
Polypod and NASAs snakebot. Most need a human or, in theory, another robot, to
manually secure the connections with screws.
 Fig.6.1 NASA's Snakebot
The basic idea of a lattice robot is that swarms of small, identical modules that can combine
to form a larger robot. Several prototype lattice robots already exist, but some models exist
only as computer simulations. Lattice robots move by crawling over one another, attaching
to and detaching from connection points on neighboring robots. Its like the way the tiles
move in a sliding tile puzzle. This method of movement is called substrate reconfiguration
the robots can move only along points within the lattice of robots. Lattice modules can
either have self contained power sources, or they can share power sources through their
connections to other modules.
Lattice robots can move over difficult terrain by climbing over
one another, following the shape of the terrain, or they can form a solid, stable surface to
support other structures. Enough lattice robots can create just about any shape. The
 modules can combine to make flat surfaces, ladders, movable appendages and virtually any
other imaginable shape. So a lattice robot is more like a Terminator T-1000 than a
Transformer. Swarm-bots can maneuver independently, or they can combine to complete
tasks they could not perform alone.
Like lattice robots mobile reconfiguration robots are small,
identical modules that can combine to form bigger robots. However, they dont need their
neighbors help to get from place to place- they can move around on their own. Mobile
configuration robots are a lot like cartoon depictions of schools of fish or flocks of birds
that combine to create a tool or structure. They move independently until they need to
come together to accomplish a specific task. Even though these swarm-bots look very
different from one another, they have many similarities in how they move and operate.

Fig.6.2 Swarm-bots can maneuver independently, or they can combine to complete tasks they
could not perform alone.

6.3. Asteroid eaters: Robots to hunt space rocks protect Earth.

The best way to stop an asteroid from wiping out earth is to lob a few nuclear missiles at
the rocky beast or blow it apart from the inside with megaton bombs. But the more efficient
weapon can be a swarm of nuclear powered robots that could drill into asteroid and hurl
 chunks of it into space with enough force to gradually push it into non-Earth impacting
course.

6.4. A MADMEN swarm:

Since each MADMEN robot could only give a small push to an asteroid over time, SEI
researchers envision sending an entire fleet of them to a potential Earth impact on. The key,
is said to have a lander on each face of an asteroid working together autonomously to push
the space rock in one direction as it tumbles through space, each lander "firing" as it comes
into position.

6.5. Nubot
Nubot is an abbreviation for Nucleic Acid Robots. Nubots are synthetic robotics devices
at the nano scale. Representative nubots include several DNA walkers.

6.6. The water skater

A bug like robot inspired by insects that skate across water has been engineered. The
machine provides deeper insight into how these long legged bugs known as water striders
or pond skaters move.
The machine is over 7 centimeters long, and looks and moves very like a real insect. It has
six legs: two fronts, two back and two out to the side, which row back and forth to propel it
forward. Made of a light weight metal, the robot weighs only 0.6 grams. But the lightness
alone is not what keeps it walking on water.
Tiny hairs on the ends of its legs that repel water keep the actual insect afloat. These
machines are made bouyant by dipping the legs in a water resistant Teflon solution. Fig:
7.This robot has water-resistant legs to make sure it floats in water. Three flexible joint-like
connections called actuators, one on the body and one where each side leg attaches to the
body, give the robot the flexibility it needs to move.
A, B, C and D are the supporting legs; E and F are the actuating
legs; G is the body with sensors, power sources and a wireless communication module; H
is the middle actuator; and I and J are the right/left actuators (Image: Carnegie Mellon
University)
The actuators, made from a ceramic metallic composite layered on top of a stainless steel
plate, shrink or expand when voltage is applied. Varying the frequency of the electric
current going to each leg allows the robotic insect steers left, right, forward or backward. In
the natural world, the water strider moves at the lighting sped of 1 to 2 meters per second.
For now, the bugs move at 5 centimeters per second.

Fig.6.1 This robot has water-resistant legs to make sure it

floats in water
 CHAPTER 7

APPLICATION OF ROBOT SWARMS

There are many applications for swarms of robots. Multiple vacuum cleaner robots might
need to share maps of areas where they have previously cleaned. A swarm of mars rovers
might need to disperse throughout the environment to locate promising areas, while
maintaining communications with each other. Robots used for earthquake rescue might
come in three flavors: thousands for cockroach sized scouts to infiltrate the debris and
locate survivors, a few dozen rat-sized structural engineers to get near the scene and solve
the pickup-sticks problem of getting the rubble off, and a few brontosaurus-sized heavy
lifters to carry out the rescue plan.

In all these applications, individual robots must work independently, only communicating
with other nearby robots. It is either too expensive (robot vacuums need to be very cheap,
too far (it takes 15 minutes for messages to get to Mars), or impossible (radio control
signals cannot penetrate into earthquake rubble) to control all of the robots from a
centralized location. However, a distributed control system can let robots from a centralized
location. However, a distributed control system can let robots interact with other nearby
robots, cooperating amongst themselves to accomplish their mission.

3.1. Journey into small spaces

The mini-machines could travel in swarms like insects and go into locations too small for
their bulkier cousins, communicating all the while with each other and human operators in
a remote location.
 Eventually fleets of robots could scamper through pipes looking for chemical releases of
Patrol buildings in search of prowlers. Taking the smaller robots in large numbers has the
better chances of finding what we are looking for.

Currently these robots can navigate a field of coins, puttering along at 20 inches (50 cm) a
minute on track wheels similar to those on tanks. The treads give added mobility over
predecessors with conventional wheels, allowing it to travel over thick carpet. Though they
cant zip along as fast as a spider or ant yet, with modifications it could go up to five times
faster.

3.2. Covert uses possible

The size of the robot is limited by the size of its power source. The frame must be large
enough to hold three watch batteries, which drive its motors and instruments. The robot
could play a major role in intelligence gathering. Over the next several years these mini
robot can be fitted with impressive options, including video cameras and infrared or radio
wireless two-way communications.

3.3. Terminators, Transformers and Other Self-Reconfiguring Robots

The coolest thing about Transformers, of course, is that they can take two completely
different shapes. Most can be bipedal robots or working vehicles. Some can instead
transform into weapons or electronic devices. A Transformers two forms have vast
different strengths and capabilities.
This is completely different from most real robots, which are usually only good at
performing one task or a few related tasks. The Mars Exploration Rovers, for example, can
do the following:
 A. Generate power with solar calls and store it in batteries.
B. Drive across the landscape.
C. Take pictures.
D. Drill into rocks.
E. Use spectrometers to record temperatures, chemical compositions, X-rays
and alpha particles
F. Send the recorded data back to Earth using radio waves.
An artist's rendering of a Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of Mars An
exploration rover wouldnt be very good at tasks that dont fit into categories. It cant, for
example assembles a bridge, fit into very small spaces or build other robots. In other words,
it would make a lousy search-and-rescue robot, and it wouldnt fit in at all in an automated
factory.

That is why engineers are developing reconfiguring robots. Like Transformers, these robots
can change their shape to fit the task at hand. But instead of changing from one shape to
one other shape, like a bipedal robot to a tractor trailer, reconfiguring robots can take many
shapes. They are much smaller than real Transformers; some reconfiguring robot modules
are small enough to fit in a persons hand.

Fig.7.2 An artists rendering of a Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of Mars

Glance at the other applications:
I. 1.Transportation
II. Search & Rescue
III. Mine Detection
IV. Surveillance & Monitoring
V. Medical Service using small-size robots
VI. Military . . .
 CHAPTER 8

ADVANTAGES
1. Improved performance:
If tasks can be decomposable then by using parallelism, groups can make
tasks to be performed more efficiently.
2. Task enablement:
Groups of robots can do certain tasks that are impossible for a single robot.
3. Distributed sensing:
The range of sensing of a group of robots is wider than the range of a single
robot.

DISADVANTAGES
1. Interference:
Robots in a group can interfere between them, due to collisions, occlusions,
2. Uncertainty concerning other robots intentions:
Coordination requires knowing what other robots are doing. If this is not
clear robots can compete instead of cooperate.
 CHAPTER 9
CONCLUSION

This work has given the detailed overview of current swarm intelligence research and its
applications in swarm robotics. Swarm robotics is an interesting alternative to classical approaches
to robotics because of some properties of problem solving by social insects, which is flexible,
robust, decentralized and self6th WSEAS Int. Conference on Computational Intelligence, Man-
Machine Systems and Cybernetics, Tenerife, Spain, December 14-16, 2007 44 organized.
Advantages of swarm-based robotics are numerous. Some tasks may be too complex or a single
robot to perform. The speed is increased when using several robots and it is easier to design a robot
due to its simplicity. Rapid progress of hardware brings innovations in robot design allowing
further minimization. The communication between robots is reduced, because of the interactions
through the environment. We are reaching a stage in technology where it is no longer possible to
use traditional, centralized, hierarchical command and control techniques to deal with systems that
have thousands or even millions of dynamically changing, communicating, and heterogeneous
entities. The type of solution swarm robotics offers, and swarm intelligence in general, is the only
way of moving forward when it comes to control of complex distributed systems.
 CHAPTER 10
FUTURE SCOPE
At present, the project focuses on the collective working of the swarm robots in the direction of
completing the given task by the user. Currently, while completing the task a robot haults if
there exists another working robot in the same line of the grid in which it is exists. In this way
collision is avoided. Although the collision is avoided by compromising the time factor.
Therefore, in the future, work is required to be focused in the direction of real time collision
avoidance where the task will be smoothly in minimum time. A Zigbee currently module is
mounted on each client robot which helps in wireless communication with server up to a range
of 100 m. This imposes a limited range barrier on the working of the project. Hence, a detailed
study is required to remove this range barrier.
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