This Termite-Inspired robotic system is quite interesting. Just like tossing a bunch of construction people onto a job if one of them calls in sick the job will still progress that day. But in a typical robotic assembly line if the robot that does a particular step breaks down the entire line is down until that robot is repaired. Just imagine tossing a bunch of generic robots into an area with a goal in mind but no specific rules as to which robot will do what. I can just imagine a robotic assembly line of the future acting much like a human one does today. I guess the only issue will be price, humans are incredibly complex and adding the complexity into each robot so that they can perform every task possible might be cost prohibitive. I wonder if a compromise can be that there are 3 or 4 groups of robots that have specialties, just like on an assembly line you might have welders, painters and electronics people.
“Inspired by termites and their building activities, the TERMES project is working toward developing a swarm construction system in which robots cooperate to build 3D structures much larger than themselves. The current system consists of simple but autonomous mobile robots and specialized passive blocks; the robot is able to manipulate blocks to build tall structures, as well as maneuver over and around the structures it creates. A multi-robot control would allow many simultaneously active robots to cooperate in building structures.”
Â
Termite-inspired robots from Wyss Institute on Vimeo.