iRobot SwarmBot: it's not just about floors anymore

We all know iRobot, makers of lovable floor-cleaning friends Roomba and Scooba. They've got another robot on their roster, and it's not acting alone. SwarmBot has been designed to use distributed algorithms that enable concerted action whether in a group of 10 or 10,000 other bots. Each SwarmBot has a suite of sensors, 32-bit microprocessor, and an infrared system to provide obstacle detection, inter-robot localization and communication. All of the above is packed into a wee 5-inch cube that fits in the palm of your hand — if you can catch one, that is. Sure, iRobot says the SwarmOS is only being used in these bots, but we all know what happens when the family goes on vacation — Roomba swarm party!

[Via CNet]

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

"Software for robotic swarms is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Association (DARPA)."

Go military funding! Nothin' says lovin' like swarming, explosive robots! Make them a 6' cube and pack the extra space with Semtex and you've got a powerful weapon.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

I would like to welcome our new robot overlords and wish them luck in conquering the Earth.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Don't like the search links you have started inserting in posts. Why don't you at least make them visually different from "real" links.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

what is the point of swarm bots?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

#3 The point is that a swarm can gather more information and do a job that any single robot may not be able to. Think about the swarm things in Minority Report that scanned peoples iris's - it would have taken a lot longer for a single robot to do that work.

There is a good PBS Nova scienceNOW video: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/archive/
"James McLurkin of MIT is one of the world's leading designers of robot "swarms"�groups of robots that work together for a greater purpose."

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

the article lists a bunch of applications for swarm bots. Since robots/computers can transfer data to one another very quickly, one way to look at it (for certain applications) is that it's like having 1 robot with many different sensors collecting data at different locations simultaneously. It's also entertaining to watch them play soccer against each other.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

matt2,

The purpose of swarm bots are of course to kill Sarah Conner, build SKYnet =)

rampy

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

I'm Homer of the Swarm Collective. Resistence is futile. You will be assimil- ..Oooh, Donuts!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Add blades at the bottom. Lawn mowed in 4 minutes tops. A community could have each person buy one, and then they could let them lose and the swarm would mow any persons lawn as a group indescriminately as needed.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM]

Has anyone here ever read "Prey" by Michael Crichton?