Self-assembly and self-repair by robot swarms

Abstract

This dissertation describes a family of algorithms intended to be used to control simple robots, or smart components, during the process of self-assembly into a goal structure. Also explored are algorithms for repair of the goal structure under assorted conditions, and methods for generating the structure-specific programs required to control the robots as they perform these tasks. A progression of algorithms is explored in which robot state is externalized to progressively greater degrees, until all state is external. Fully externalized state allows the robots themselves to be simple reactive devices while at the same time facilitating greater functionality in the structure as a whole. The distributed algorithms presented here are tolerant of robot failures and of externally-induced disturbances. The structures are self-healing, and in some cases self-replicating to a limited extent. Their components can be re-used once the structures are no longer needed.