From local actions to global tasks: simulation of stigmergy based foraging behavior

Abstract

The paper presents a series of experiments in a simulated environment where a group of two mobile robots gather randomly distributed objects and cluster them into one pile. Coordination of the robots' movements is achieved through stigmergy. This principle, originally developed for the description of termite building behavior, allows indirect communication between robots through sensing and modification of the local environment which determines the robots' behavior. Using a simple behavioral rule set, and having no capacity for spatial orientation or memory, the robots are able to achieve effective clustering, showing a self-organization process. The possibility to form a cluster on a predetermined place and with a specific form is investigated by simulations.