Harvard to Manufacture Swarming Killbots ... er, Kilobots
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 7:48AM Swarming robots are for everyone! At least, that’s what Harvard seems to think.
The university is partnering with K-Team Corp., a Swiss robotics manufacturer, to produce quarter-sized, collective behavior robots, called Kilobots.
Don’t worry: They’re a lot more innocent than their name suggests. In fact, Kilobots got their name for being relatively easy to mass produce and coordinate. They cost only $14 each to produce and are assembled in just a few minutes. (Most robots average several hundred dollars, at least.)
This type of mass-production makes us wonder if Kilobots will soon be everywhere, used by the military, businesses and even individuals.
The amazing collective-behavior robots, which were inspired by animals like ants and bees, each feature an on-board computer. They are able to sense and communicate with their fellow robots, which enables them to locate an object and bring it back to base, for example. The coolest part? Certain bots will detect that they need to break off from the group, assume the role of leader and guide the “swarm” back home.
Kilobots are also quick to deploy. Their creators wanted to keep human interaction to a bare minimum; so they can be programmed collectively by an infrared transmitter, can power up and down remotely and recharge their own lithium-ion batteries as needed.
Other researchers and companies are also developing swarming robots. According to TPM.com, a group of ocean-exploring robots is under development at the University of California-Davis through a National Science Foundation grant. NASA has also been working on a robotic swarm concept with miniature robots that link with others to create larger devices that can reassemble themselves to match environmental conditions, perform tasks and even repair themselves. (Hello, Transformers?)
The U.S. Army is also in the game, which shouldn't surprise any of us. Their researchers are developing increasingly sophisticated platforms to enable soldiers to interact effectively with robot swarms.
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