Hole Avoidance: Experiments in Coordinated Motion on Rough Terrain

Abstract

In this paper, we study coordinated motion in a swarm robotic system, called a swarm-bot. A swarm-bot is a self-assembling and self-organizing artifact, composed of a swarm of s-bots, mobile robots with the ability to connect to and disconnect from each other. The swarm-bot concept is particularly suited for tasks that require abilities of navigation on rough terrain, such as space exploration or rescue in collapsed buildings. In fact, a swarm-bot can exploit the cooperation of its simple components to overcome di#culties or avoid hazardous situations.