Instead of building one big machine that is super-complicated, maybe follow dear mother nature and build a bunch of not as complex smaller machines that can behave like a more complicated machine? That’s what engineers at Georgia Tech have are attempting with BOBbots. Here’s more from SlashGear:
One researcher on the project, Daniel Goldman, said that most researchers build increasingly complex and expensive robots to guarantee coordination. The goal of his team was to see what complex tasks can be accomplished with very simple robots. Researchers on the project were inspired by a theoretical model of particles moving around on a chessboard. The theoretical abstraction is known as a self-organizing particle system and was used to rigorously study a mathematical model of the tiny robots.
Researchers proved that the theoretical model undergoes a phase changes the magnetic interactions increase using ideas from probability theory, statistical physics, and stochastic algorithms. Researchers found BOBbots abruptly changed from dispersing to aggregating in large, compact clusters, similar to phase changes seen in everyday items like water and ice.
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
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