Swarm Robotics, or: The Smartness of 'a bunch of cheap dumb things'

Sebastian Vehlken

doi:10.7480/spool.2017.1.1911

Swarm Robotics, or: The Smartness of 'a bunch of cheap dumb things'

Sebastian Vehlken

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Not only recent Science Fiction – e.g., Star Trek Beyond (USA 2016) – celebrates the capacities of robot collectives. Also RoboCup, an annual robot soccer competition, or Harvard University’s Kilobot Project show stunning examples of the central idea behind Swarm Robotics: »[U]sing swarms is the same as getting a bunch of small cheap dumb things to do the same job as an expensive smart thing« (Beni/Wang 1989). This article examines some crucial aspects of the techno-history of a research field which intertwines engineering and biological knowledge and whose applications deal with compelling questions about synchronization and self-organization in changing environments – on the ground, in the air, and under water.

Original language	English
Journal	Spool
Volume	4
Issue number	1
Number of pages	9
ISSN	2215-0897
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7480/spool.2017.1.1911
Publication status	Published - 24.12.2017

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Research areas and keywords

Construction engineering and architecture
Digital media
History
Cultural studies
Media and communication studies

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Urban Studies
Architecture
Geography, Planning and Development
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Access to Document

10.7480/spool.2017.1.1911Licence: CC BY

DownloadFinal published version, 1.45 MBLicence: CC BY

MECS: FOR 1927: Media Cultures of Computer Simulation
Warnke, M. (Project manager, academic), Pias, C. (Project manager, academic), Vehlken, S. (Project manager, academic) & Wellmann, J. (Project staff)
01.04.17 → 31.03.22
Project: Research
MECS: FOR 1927: Media Cultures of Computer Simulation
Warnke, M. (Project manager, academic), Pias, C. (Project manager, academic), Vehlken, S. (Project manager, academic) & Wellmann, J. (Project staff)
01.04.17 → 31.07.22
Project: Research
MECS: FOR 1927: Media Cultures of Computer Simulation
Pias, C. (Project manager, academic), Warnke, M. (Project manager, academic), Vehlken, S. (Project manager, academic) & Wellmann, J. (Project staff)
01.04.17 → 30.06.22
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Swarm Robotics, or: The Smartness of 'a bunch of cheap dumb things'",

abstract = "Not only recent Science Fiction – e.g., Star Trek Beyond (USA 2016) – celebrates the capacities of robot collectives. Also RoboCup, an annual robot soccer competition, or Harvard University{\textquoteright}s Kilobot Project show stunning examples of the central idea behind Swarm Robotics: »[U]sing swarms is the same as getting a bunch of small cheap dumb things to do the same job as an expensive smart thing« (Beni/Wang 1989). This article examines some crucial aspects of the techno-history of a research field which intertwines engineering and biological knowledge and whose applications deal with compelling questions about synchronization and self-organization in changing environments – on the ground, in the air, and under water.",

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AB - Not only recent Science Fiction – e.g., Star Trek Beyond (USA 2016) – celebrates the capacities of robot collectives. Also RoboCup, an annual robot soccer competition, or Harvard University’s Kilobot Project show stunning examples of the central idea behind Swarm Robotics: »[U]sing swarms is the same as getting a bunch of small cheap dumb things to do the same job as an expensive smart thing« (Beni/Wang 1989). This article examines some crucial aspects of the techno-history of a research field which intertwines engineering and biological knowledge and whose applications deal with compelling questions about synchronization and self-organization in changing environments – on the ground, in the air, and under water.

KW - Construction engineering and architecture

KW - Digital media

KW - History

KW - Cultural studies

KW - Media and communication studies

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DO - 10.7480/spool.2017.1.1911

M3 - Journal articles

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JO - Spool

JF - Spool

IS - 1

ER -

Swarm Robotics, or: The Smartness of 'a bunch of cheap dumb things'

Abstract

UN SDGs

Research areas and keywords

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

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Projects

MECS: FOR 1927: Media Cultures of Computer Simulation

MECS: FOR 1927: Media Cultures of Computer Simulation

MECS: FOR 1927: Media Cultures of Computer Simulation

Cite this