 |
Swarms Of Ping Pong Ball-sized Robots
Tiny, inexpensive robots are a great way to experiment with robot swarms. Take a look at this video with twenty of the robots, nicknamed 'droplets'.
('Droplets' swarm robotics)
When the droplets swarm together, University of Colorado Boulder Assistant Professor Nikolaus Correll said, they form a 'liquid that thinks.' Correll says there is virtually no limit to what might be created through distributed intelligence systems. 'Every living organism is made from a swarm of collaborating cells,' he said. 'Perhaps some day, our swarms will colonize space where they will assemble habitats and lush gardens for future space explorers.' Swarms of robots could also be unleashed to contain an oil spill or to self-assemble into a piece of hardware after being launched separately into space, Correll said.
SF fans (as well as fans of supermarionation) remember the early 1980's series The Terrahawks, which had spherical robots called Zeroids that worked together to fight the evil witch-like alien Zelda.
(Sergeant Major Zero and Zeroid 18)
Via Daily Mail.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/16/2012)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 5 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
Robot With Broken Leg Learns To Walk Again
Robots that learn to walk again are now on the march.
World's First Android Newscaster (Video)
'The autonomic TV interviewer, camera in its hand, blocked his path.'- Philip K. Dick, 1965.
Japan Invites Robot Athletes To Gather For 2020 Olympics
It's time we started to get rid of that distinction between metal and flesh, and IC and neuron, don't you think?
Tiniest Microphone Inspired By Fly
'Transmitting to its manipulator, far away now, all that it heard through its ear microphones...'- Raymond Z. Gallun, 1936.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
Man-Made Space Leaf Creates Oxygen From Water And Light
'What better purifying machine is there than... grass?'
Robot With Broken Leg Learns To Walk Again
Robots that learn to walk again are now on the march.
World's First Android Newscaster (Video)
'The autonomic TV interviewer, camera in its hand, blocked his path.'
Japan Invites Robot Athletes To Gather For 2020 Olympics
It's time we started to get rid of that distinction between metal and flesh, and IC and neuron, don't you think?
CV Dazzle Anti-Surveillance Make-Up
Let's hear it for the vague blur!
LG Display's 18 Inch Flexible OLED Panel Is Awesomely Cool
'...a wide sheet of clear material suddenly flared with light and swirling color.'
Tiniest Microphone Inspired By Fly
'Transmitting to its manipulator, far away now, all that it heard through its ear microphones...'
NASA's Highway In The Sky For Drones
Traffic is everywhere.
Palcohol Powdered Alcohol - Try Or Ban?
'I had a small can of powdered alcohol disguised as tooth powder...'
pd.id Personal Drink ID Device Like Dune 'Poison Snooper'
'The jeweled hands clutching drinks (and the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers)...'
Monsieur Bartending Robot
'He poured the liquids into his maw...'
Cities Detect Gunfire Acoustics With ShotSpotter
'Sound trackers on the roof...'
Cruise Automation's 'Highway Autopilot' For $10K
'It cut her out of the stream of vehicles and reduced the speed of her car...'
Pengheng Space Capsule Hotel Staffed Entirely By Robots
'A planet-wide chain of hotels that specialized in non-human service.'
Electric Bacteria That Live On Pure Energy
'April 5, 1977; that was the night the waveries came.'
EXACTO Smart Bullet From DARPA
Nicely visualized in what 1984 movie?
