Simple robots form a chain gang to solve complex problems

A swarm of bees or a colony of ants works together to complete tasks that would be impossible for individuals to carry out. Researchers in Belgium have now shown that a group of robots can pull off the same feat--including figuring out the correct sequence in which the tasks must be performed. The researchers deployed a swarm of 20 two-wheeled robots, each 50 millimeters high, in a hexagonal playing field. Their job was to enter three booths in the correct order. Forming chains, the researchers report this month in Science Robotics.