robotics
In current robotics research there is a vast body of work on algorithms and control methods for groups of decentralized cooperating robots, called a swarm or collective.
Kilobot
Kilobot K-team
The Kilobot is designed to make tests of collective algorithms on hundreds or thousands of robots accessible to robotics researchers. Though the Kilobots are low-cost, they maintain abilities similar to other collective robots. These abilities include differential drive locomotion, on-board computation power, neighbor-to-neighbor communication, neighbor-to-neighbor distance sensing, and ambient light sensing. Additionally they are designed to operate such that no robot requires any individual attention by a human operator. This makes controlling a group of Kilobots easy, whether there are 10 or 1000 in the group.
Swarm of tiny, collaborative robots will be made available to researchers, educators, and enthusiasts CONTACT: Michael Patrick Rutter , (617) 496-3815 Photo courtesy of Michael Rubenstein. The Kilobots are coming. Computer scientists and engineers at Harvard University have developed and licensed technology that will make it easy to test collective algorithms on hundreds, or even thousands, of tiny robots.
Kilobots are leaving the nest
Der Name ist etwas irreführend: Kilobot heißt ein kleiner Roboter, den Wissenschaftler an der Harvard-Universität entwickelt haben. Es braucht aber viele der dreibeinigen Schwarmroboter, um ein Kilogramm vollzubekommen. Ein Schweizer Unternehmen hat die Lizenz erhalten, die Roboter in Serie zu fertigen. Schwarm aus 1.000 Robotern Entwickelt wurden die Schwarmroboter von einem Forscherteam um Radhika Nagpal von der Self-Organizing Systems Research Group an der Harvard-Universität in Cambridge im US-Bundesstaat Massachusetts. Zweck des einfachen und günstig herzustellenden Roboters ist, Schwarmalgorithmen zu testen, die später in größere Roboter implementiert werden.
Kilobots gehen in die Serienfertigung - Golem
The Kilobots are an inexpensive system for testing synchronized and collaborative behavior in a very large swarm of robots. Photo courtesy of Michael Rubenstein (PhysOrg.com) -- The Kilobots are coming. Computer scientists and engineers at Harvard University have developed and licensed technology that will make it easy to test collective algorithms on hundreds, or even thousands, of tiny robots. Called Kilobots, the quarter-sized bug-like devices scuttle around on three toothpick-like legs, interacting and coordinating their own behavior as a team.
Kilobots - tiny, collaborative robots - are leaving the nest (w/ video) - StumbleUpon
Harvard's Kilobot project does swarm robots on the cheap (video)
We've certainly seen plenty of swarm robots before, but few of those are cheap enough to let you easily build something that can truly be called a "swarm."
Microsoft Robotics
These LEGO® MINDSTORMS NXT tutorials demonstrate how to control and interact with the LEGO® MINDSTORMS NXT from Microsoft Visual Programming Language (VPL).