TENTACLES: Self-configuring robotic radio networks in unknown environments

This paper presents a bio-inspired, distributed control algorithm called TENTACLES for a group of radio robots to move, self-configure and maintain communication between some critical entities (such as humans, command centers, or other systems) in an unknown environment. The basic idea is to direct robots´ explorative movements to grow ¿tentacles¿ from entities and establish links when tentacles meet. This approach can self-heal failures of robots and improve communication coverage and quality over time. Experiments in simulations and real robots have shown positive results.