Self organizing behavior and swarm intelligence in a cellular robotic system

The authors describe the notion of a distributed robotic system (DRS) based on instinctive response and cooperation. Two specific aspects of the DRS are investigated in some detail: the self-configuration capabilities and the pattern generation problem. Simulation was used as a tool for dealing with the variety of possible distributions of the DRS, of environmental conditions, and of individual reactions of each robotic unit. Problems associated with communication between robotic units are also addressed. Simulation results demonstrate that communication and cooperation are very effective in enhancing the performance of the DRS during tasks requiring exploration, such as the search for pollutants