Function Emergence in Multirobot Systems Utilizing Intelligent Data Carriers.

摘要

This paper describes the use of the newly developed system named“Intelligent Data Carrier System: IDC System”to execute several tasks by a multirobot system in a so-called“emergent”manner. In order to realize the function emergence in real systems, it is important to consider how to design and embed the system into a real form, rather than theoretical or numerical researches on an emergent behavior itself. Based on the discussion on the design frameworks of an“emergent system”, we try to implement the IDC system along with an actual multirobot system which consists of omnidirectional mobile robots equipped with folk lifts for handling of the IDC units. The applicability of the IDC system is demonstrated through the experiments for two kinds of tasks; 1) object transportation, and 2) patrolling. It can be concluded that the IDC system is effectively used in the tasks appearing in the practical missions of multirobot systems which can be regarded as one of the physical (real) systems that could realize“function emergence”.