Clock-and-Wavefront Process for Assembly by Massive Microrobot Swarm

Authors

Bruce J. MacLennan, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-3584-5866

Document Type

Audio/Video

Publication Date

12-23-2021

Abstract

Artificial morphogenesis uses processes inspired by embryology to control massive swarms of robots to assemble complex physical structures. This video shows several simulated applications of the clock-and-wavefront process of vertebrate spinal segmentation to coordinate a microrobot swarm to assemble a insect-like body frame with multi-segment legs on a multi-segment spine. In both cases the number and length of the segments can be controlled. To ensure that the algorithms scale up to extremely large microrobot swarms, they are expressed as partial differential equations.

Comments

Representative citations:

Bruce J. MacLennan, “Coordinating Swarms of Microscopic Agents to Assemble Complex Structures,” Ying Tan (Ed.), Swarm Intelligence, Vol. 1: Principles, Current Algorithms and Methods (PBCE119), ch. 20, pp. 583–612, IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology), 2018.

Bruce J. MacLennan and Allen C. McBride, “Swarm Intelligence for Morphogenetic Engineering,” in Andrew Schumann (Ed.), Swarm Intelligence: From Social Bacteria to Human Beings, Taylor & Francis / CRC, 2020, ch. 2.

Recommended Citation

MacLennan, Bruce J., "Clock-and-Wavefront Process for Assembly by Massive Microrobot Swarm" (2021). Faculty Publications and Other Works -- EECS.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_elecpubs/26