Abstract
Stigmergy is a form of indirect communication and coordination in which agents modify the environment to pass information to their peers. In nature, animals use stigmergy by, for example, releasing pheromone that conveys information to other members of their species. A few systems in swarm robotics research have replicated this process by introducing the concept of artificial pheromone. In this paper, we present Phormica, a system to conduct experiments in swarm robotics that enables a swarm of e-puck robots to release and detect artificial pheromone. Phormica emulates pheromone-based stigmergy thanks to the ability of robots to project UV light on the ground, which has been previously covered with a photochromic material. As a proof of concept, we test Phormica on three collective missions in which robots act collectively guided by the artificial pheromone they release and detect. Experimental results indicate that a robot swarm can effectively self-organize and act collectively by using stigmergic coordination based on the artificial pheromone provided by Phormica.
Highlights
We present Phormica: a system that enables the realization of robot swarms that release artificial pheromone in the environment and detect it
We presented a cost-effective and functional system, Phormica, that enhances the capabilities of a swarm of e-puck robots and enables them to release and detect artificial pheromone in the environment
Phormica is based on a photochromic substance that emulates artificial pheromone when exposed to UV light
Summary
We present Phormica: a system that enables the realization of robot swarms that release artificial pheromone in the environment and detect it. Stigmergy is a mechanism for agent-to-agent coordination occurring without any direct interaction between the agents In this mechanism, each agent modifies the environment as a result of its actions and the modified environment influences the activities of the other agents (Grassé, 1959). Each agent modifies the environment as a result of its actions and the modified environment influences the activities of the other agents (Grassé, 1959) This coordination mechanism can be observed in many social insects such as ants and termites and in solitary insects (Wyatt, 2014; Romano et al, 2020). The accumulation of pheromone stimulates the behavior of individuals of the same group: individuals that detect the trails in their close environment are likely to react to them This process leads the group to exhibit stigmergic coordination that enables the appearance of self-organized behaviors such as foraging and aggregation, among others (Theraulaz and Bonabeau, 1999)
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