Segregation and Flow of Modules in a Robot Swarm Utilising the Brazil Nut Effect

摘要

A lot of research has been conducted on swarm and modular robots and their reconfiguration. For this kind of robot system, it is best to simplify each individual module in order to avoid making the swarm system too complex in the interest of reducing the computing power necessary for a task.This paper proposes a swarm robot system capable of self-segregation by changing the size of each agent, utilising the Brazil Nut Effect. The self-segregation allowed by this effect lead to the simplification of the control protocol necessary for the swarm.We simulated a swarm robot system consisting of circular modules capable of changing their radius and, with the aid of externally supplied vibrations, utilising the Brazil Nut Effect to achieve segregation of the swarm. The effect also allowed for the migration of individual modules through the swarm. Additionally, we harnessed this segregation effect in simulation to create a flow of modules within the swarm, whilst the swarm was confined within a vibrating container.Lastly, we took the first steps toward physical verification of the experimental results by designing and building a prototype for a circular robot module capable of changing its radius in a manner inspired by a spiral torsion spring.