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Step into the ring with MoMath's Robot Swarm
Back in July -- when temperatures were more forgiving -- I saw a preview of the Robot Swarm that would be landing at the New York City Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) this winter. Both the calendar and chilly weather confirm that its time has come. During today's official unveiling I got up close and personal with two dozen of the horseshoe-crab-like creatures that inhabit it and starting this Sunday, the museum opens it to the public. You'll need to step into the 11-foot by 12-foot ring to mingle with these robots, while donning one of three unique, infrared-trackable packs to help the swarm monitor your movement and react according to one of several algorithms. The "trilobots" aren't just tracking the humans above them, they're also in communication with each other to calculate their respective distances and the most efficient routes to accomplish their goals. Join us in the gallery below for a tour of MoMath's new interactive exhibit, along with some information about how it all works.
A Robot Swarm descends on NYC's Museum of Math
Roboticist-in-residence James McLurkin offered an advanced preview of his Robot Swarm at NYC's Museum of Mathematics this week. The presentation detailed the background and programming concepts of these sensor- and speaker-laden bots -- which have a habit of spitting out 8-bit-style tunes while they work. The digital creatures exhibit group behaviors much like ants and bees, working together to map out their surroundings and communicate with each other -- and there's a definite hierarchy to their organization. The Robot Swarm exhibit will be open to the public when it's completed later this year and will be displayed beneath a transparent floor so you can watch the action happen from your own god-like perspective. Head on down to the gallery for a closer look at how the Robot Swarm will organize itself when the robopocalypse finally arrives.
