Distributed coordination of simulated robots based on self-organisation
Baldassarre Gianluca, Parisi Domenico, Nolfi Stefano

Abstract:

Distributed coordination of groups of individuals accomplishing a common task without leaders, with little communication, and on the basis of selforganising principles, is an important research issue within the study of collective behaviour of animals, humans and robots. The paper shows how distributed coordination allows a group of evolved physicallylinked simulated robots (inspired by a robot under construction) to display a variety of highly coordinated basic behaviours such as collective motion, collective obstacle avoidance, and collective light approaching, and to integrate them in a coherent fashion. In this way the group is capable of searching and approaching a light target in an environment scattered with obstacles, furrows, and holes, where robots acting individually fail. The paper shows how the emerged coordination of the group relies upon robust self-organising principles (e.g. positive feedback) based on a special sensor that allows the single robots to perceive the “average” group’s motion direction. The paper also presents a robust solution to a difficult coordination problem, that might also be encountered by some organisms, caused by the fact that the robots have to be capable of moving in any direction while being physically connected. Finally, the paper shows how the evolved distributed coordination mechanisms scale very well with respect to the number of robots, the way in which robots are assembled, the structure of the environment, and several other aspects.