Researchers have specially created "stupid" robots to test their skills

A team of researchers led by Dana Randall, ADVANCE professor of computer science, and Daniel

Goldman, a physics professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wanted to show that even the simplest of robots can still perform complex tasks.

The results of these tasks using"Dumb robots" (essentially mobile free-flowing particles) have exceeded the expectations of scientists. Researchers report the ability to remove all sensors, as well as communications, memory and computers, and still complete a set of tasks using the physical characteristics of robots.

BOBbots (behaving, organizing, buzzing bots - withEnglish literally "behaving, organized, buzzing bots"), named after the pioneer of bulk physics, Bob Behringer, "as dumb as possible," explains Randall. "Their cylindrical chassis has vibrating brushes at the bottom and weakened magnets at the periphery, which makes them spend more time in areas with more neighbors." The experimental platform was complemented by precise computer simulations led by Georgia Tech Physics student Shankai Li.

Despite the simplicity of BOBbots, researchersfound that when robots move and bump into each other, they "form compact aggregates capable of collectively clearing debris that is too heavy to move alone." “While most people build increasingly complex and expensive robots to ensure coordination, we wanted to see how complex tasks can be solved with very simple robots,” Goldman notes.

Their work was inspired by theoreticalmodel of the movement of particles on a chessboard. A theoretical abstraction known as a self-organizing particle system was developed to thoroughly study the mathematical model of BOB bots. Using ideas from probability theory, statistical physics and stochastic algorithms, the researchers were able to prove that the theoretical model undergoes a phase transition as magnetic interactions increase - an abrupt transition from a dispersed state to aggregation into large compact clusters, similar to the phase changes we see in ordinary everyday systems. such as water and ice.

“Rigorous analysis has not only shown us howbuild BOB bots, but also revealed the inherent reliability of our algorithm that allowed some robots to be malfunctioning or unpredictable, ”notes Randall.

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