Aerial Swarm Robots to the Rescue

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Can swarm robots rescue you in an accident? The EPFL in Switzerland has developed SMAVNET, a swarm of small flying machines that can establish a wireless communication network to help rescue workers. The micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) look like remote control planes, but they are programmed to fly autonomously. The SMAVNET was taught a trick used by army ants: MAVs paint each other with 'virtual pheromones' and use these markers to let them know where they should explore. Each MAV is designed to be cheap and easily replaceable, sort of like ant drones. The MAVs weigh about 420 grams each, are about 80 cm wide, and have a run time around 30 minutes. We have covered other technologies using swarm robots, incuding 'Realtime Starcraft: Multitouch Control Systems' and 'MIT's Seaswarm: Cure for the Gulf of Mexico?'

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Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Deployment
• of
• Large
• Aerial
• Swarms