By Olivia Solon
September 27, 2010
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/robot-swarm/
Switzerland is developing flying robots to have communication networks for rescuers. These robots are called SMAVNET, standing for Swarming Micro Air Vehicle Network. SMAVNET’s can wirelessly communicate with one another. The desired turn rate, speed, or altitude is sent to autopilot by the controllers running Linux. During the swarming of the SMAVNET, the robots react to wireless communication between other robots or neighbors instead of GPS or positioned sensors. Technicians came up with the idea to create SMAVNET by copying the ideal of army ants. While army ants lay and maintain paths leading from their nests to food sources, the flying robots are programmed to lay and maintain communication pathways between a base node and users in the environment. As of the date of this article, Switzerland had experimented with ten robots flying together, which is believed to be the most robots to swarm together.
I think this is a great idea. Although I have many questions left unanswered by the article, and I have never heard of such a thing before, it seems like it can only help. I do wonder what happens if weather is bad, or what the robots will do if an actual plane or helicopter is in the area; however, I am sure that I am not the only one to have thought of these questions. Also, although robots are not really a huge part of life now, I will be interested to see what comes from these advances, and how robots may start to become a part of everyday life one day.
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