Evolutionary robot swarm cooperative retrieval

Neil Vaughan

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

    Abstract

    In nature bees and leaf-cutter ants communicate to improve cooperation during food retrieval. This research aims to model communication in a swarm of autonomous robots. When food is identified robot communication is emitted within a limited range. Other robots within the range receive the communication and learn of the location and size of the food source. The simulation revealed that communication improved the rate of cooperative food retrieval tasks. However a counter-productive chain reaction can occur when robots repeat communications from other robots causing cooperation errors. This can lead to a large number of robots travelling towards the same food source at the same time. The food becomes depleted, before some robots have arrived. Several robots continue to communicate food presence, before arriving at the food source to find it gone. Nature-inspired communication can enhance swarm behaviour without requiring a central controller and may be useful in autonomous drones or vehicles.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationBiomimetic and Biohybrid Systems
    PublisherSpringer
    Number of pages4
    ISBN (Print)9783319959719
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 7 Jul 2018

    Publication series

    NameLecture Notes in Computer Science
    PublisherSpringer
    ISSN (Print)0302-9743
    ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

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