The robot swarms are coming

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Jackie Snow reports on researchers who are experimenting with robot swarms, in which complex behaviors arise from simple, local interactions.

Unlike traditional robots that take orders from a central computer, swarm robots work like ant colonies. No single robot is in charge, but the swarm accomplishes complex tasks through simple interactions between neighbors. In one recent example, teams of tiny magnetic robots—each about the size of a grain of sand—cleared blockages in artificial blood vessels by forming chains to push through the obstructions.

Researchers say the approach could excel where traditional robots fail, like situations where central control is impractical or impossible due to distance, scale or communication barriers.

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