Swarm Robots Inspired by Friendship Formation Process (1808.03812v1)

Abstract: Swarm robotic systems are systems in which multiple robots having simple functionality perform tasks through their cooperation, and are advantageous in that they can exhibit non-trivial macroscopic functions such as adaptability, fault tolerance, and scalability. We previously proposed a simple model of swarm formation inspired by friendship formation process in human society, and demonstrated via simulation that various non-trivial patterns emerge. In this study, we examine the applicability of the proposed model to a swarm robotic system. As a first step, we developed five robots and demonstrated via real-world experiments that the simulation results can be largely reproduced.