The engineering of cellular robotic systems

The authors discuss the potential applications and engineering problems of cellular robotic systems (CRSs). The design criteria of components are explored, and several systems are described in terms of their function and operation. System design for different classes of CRSs are explored. In particular, the authors focus on human/robot cellular systems, and a simple demonstration is described where a CRS is used to organize human movement. The authors describe the conditions under which this type of CRS could be used as an automated escape device for rapid evacuation in disaster situations