Swarm robotics specialists taking inspiration from nature

A top robotics expert from the US, James McLurkin, whose research group has created around 200 robots, says he closely monitors the activities of small insects like ants, bees, wasps, and termites for developing his multi-robot systems.

"Nature is a model for the growth of swarm robotics. Honeybees and ants are very hard workers and they have a system to communicate with each other although they don't have GPS. I have developed their model into a software which can be used in machines like robots," McLurkin told PTI during a visit to the American Centre in Kolkata.

He has already used the same method used by honeybees to make decisions in his robots.

The scientist is a specialist in swarm robotics systems, under which a large number of simple physical robots are used to perform tasks just the way a swarm of bees produce honey in a colony.

His core research has centred on developing distributed algorithms for multi-robot systems which is the software that produces complex group behaviours from the interactions of many simple individuals.

"The more we explore nature the more we can develop the science of robotics. Engineers should now go to biologists to understand insects first and then make robots. This is how the technology will develop further," McLurkin says adding that the future of robotics is in swarm technology.

During his visit, he also held workshops and demonstration for budding engineers at IIT, Kharagpur and for school students at the Birla Industrial & Technological Museum in Kolkata.