Called TERMES, the 175 mm (6.8 in) long, 110 mm (4.3 in) wide and 100 mm (4 in) tall robot was designed to work in cooperation with other identical units to build large structures. Each robot’s behavior, which is similar to that observed in termite colonies, is controlled by a series of 10 sensors and three actuators, each of which helps it sense its environment.
In experiments conducted by both the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences the TERMES system used foam bricks to demonstrate its ability to assemble structures.
Using a motorized arm and gripper system, each unit in the TERMES group was able to contribute to the creation of a larger, user defined structure simply by laying down a brick in a position that’s been defined by a building algorithm. Maneuvering over uneven brick surfaces on four whegs (a combination of a wheel and a leg) each robot has the ability to traverse any terrain, allowing them to build structures on a seemingly mammoth scale.
Although each TERMES robot is a simple device the power of the system lies in the programming. Based on the concept of stigmergy, a self-organization mechanism that indirectly coordinates actions within a group, the TERMES system requires no blueprint for the creation of large structures. In the TERMES model each robot reacts to changes in its environment and builds accordingly, which lends the robots a few very interesting properties.
According to Harvard, “Each robot executes its building process in parallel with others, but without knowing what else is working at the same time. If one robot breaks, or has to leave, it does not affect the others. This also means that the same instructions can be executed by five robots or 500.”
Though TERMES is still in its infancy its underlying technology could lead to major advancements in the world of robotics. Networked, hive-mind style robots could be crucial in a number of industries, including construction and defense. While we are still a ways from this technology’s maturity, it’s not hard to image a TERMES-like system integrated into whatever evolves from DARPA’s Robotic Challenge.
Images and Video Courtesy of Harvard