Swarm robots invade UK conference, lets hope they're all accounted for

It looks like the Artificial Life XI conference hosted by the University of Southampton was home to a unsettling number of swarm robots this week, including some we've seen and some we haven't. Among the more interesting of the lot are the matchbox-size bots (pictured above) developed by a group of researchers from the host university, which apparently cost just £24 (or $46) each to produce and are able to independently divide up tasks with no central program controlling them. They're even able to redistribute tasks if some of the robots fail or are removed from the area, which the researchers say makes them ideal for use in far-flung locations and, as the BBC's video available at the link below shows, they're also adorable when set to music.

[Thanks, David]

[John H. @ Aug 8th 2008 1:20PM]

Four words: Evil Robotic Intel Gatherers

[Saltypoison @ Aug 8th 2008 1:24PM]

An Engadget article about robots without a reference to our inevitable doom and subjugation to them?

SLAP IN THE FACE!

[MasterCKO @ Aug 8th 2008 2:13PM]

what do you think they were referring to when they said "lets hope they're all accounted for"?

read between the lines, my friend.

[Christian Martin @ Aug 8th 2008 1:32PM]

Doctor Steel loves you.

[NoAndThen @ Aug 8th 2008 1:36PM]

I for one... hope the uprising is set to music like that. At least it'll be slightly more relaxed/comical.

It's only a matter of time, now.

Soon, my silicon children, SOON....

[Stiv @ Aug 8th 2008 1:50PM]

Swarming robots "hate" your yellow teeth.

[GreezyG @ Aug 8th 2008 1:58PM]

oh noes! that table has already been turned into grey goo!

[Clete R. Blackwell II @ Aug 8th 2008 2:39PM]

The end of the video is awesome. It's really neat how they worked together to move the red thing over to the blue thing.

[Rand @ Aug 8th 2008 2:47PM]

Where are all the honey bees going? I think we all know that answer to that one now my friends.

[Rick wilson @ Aug 8th 2008 3:10PM]

uh oh... the darkness is coming.

[Chase @ Aug 8th 2008 4:15PM]

i for one welcome our swarm robot overlords

[Amerist @ Aug 8th 2008 6:04PM]

I "Hate" my Purple Teeth

[NoAndThen @ Aug 9th 2008 10:49AM]

lol