Ant-like task allocation and recruitment in cooperative robots

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Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Ant-like task allocation and recruitment in cooperative robots
Journal
Nature
Author(s)
Krieger  M. J., Billeter  J. B., Keller  L.
ISSN
0028-0836
Publication state
Published
Issued date
08/2000
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
406
Number
6799
Pages
992-5
Notes
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't --- Old month value: Aug 31
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges in robotics is to create machines that are able to interact with unpredictable environments in real time. A possible solution may be to use swarms of robots behaving in a self-organized manner, similar to workers in an ant colony. Efficient mechanisms of division of labour, in particular series-parallel operation and transfer of information among group members, are key components of the tremendous ecological success of ants. Here we show that the general principles regulating division of labour in ant colonies indeed allow the design of flexible, robust and effective robotic systems. Groups of robots using ant-inspired algorithms of decentralized control techniques foraged more efficiently and maintained higher levels of group energy than single robots. But the benefits of group living decreased in larger groups, most probably because of interference during foraging. Intriguingly, a similar relationship between group size and efficiency has been documented in social insects. Moreover, when food items were clustered, groups where robots could recruit other robots in an ant-like manner were more efficient than groups without information transfer, suggesting that group dynamics of swarms of robots may follow rules similar to those governing social insects.
Keywords
Algorithms Animals Ants Behavior, Animal Cooperative Behavior Feeding Behavior *Robotics
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
24/01/2008 18:39
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:16
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