Self assembling robots in an underwater environment

We present a novel rule based approach to carry out self-assembly in underwater environments. These rules define the manner in which small building blocks combine to form larger shapes. Unlike traditional AUVs or ROVs which are only capable of performing certain tasks, self-assembled systems have the potential to be used for different purposes in underwater environments based on the shape they assume. Stochastic forces are used to drive the assembly process. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach in simulation by assembling four different shapes - `L´ and `T´ alphabets, a straight line and a square. We then examine the factors that affect the time taken to reach the final configuration.