Page 169 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Insect Robot
“I/O” are I/O modules. There are two separate robotic systems in this
example, and their controllers are connected by an I/O module, allowing
communication between the systems.
As its name suggests, an I/O circuit carries data in two directions: into
and out of a microprocessor. It does both at the same time, so it is a full-
duplex module.
See also CONTROLLER.
INSECT ROBOT
An insect robot is a member of a team of identical robots that operates
under the control of a single controller, usually for the purpose of carrying
out a single task or set of tasks. Such a robot is also known as a swarm
robot. The entire group of such robots is called a society, multiagent
team, or swarm. In particular, the term insect robot is used in reference
to systems designed by engineer Rodney Brooks. He began developing
his ideas at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during the
early 1990s.
Insect robots have six legs, and some of them actually look like beetles
or cockroaches. They range in length from less than 1 mm to more than
300 mm. Most significant is the fact that they work collectively, rather
than as individuals.
Autonomous robots with independent controllers are “smart in the indi-
vidual,”but they do not necessarily work in a team. People provide a good
example. Professional sports teams have been assembled by purchasing
the services of the best players in the business, but such a team rarely
achieves championship status unless the players cooperate. Insects, by
contrast, are “stupid in the individual.”Ants and bees are like idiot robots,
but an anthill or beehive is an efficient system, run by the collective mind
of all its members.
Rodney Brooks saw this fundamental difference between autonomous
and collective intelligence. He also saw that most of his colleagues were try-
ing to build autonomous robots, perhaps because of the natural tendency
for humans to envision robots as humanoid. To Brooks, it was obvious
that a major avenue of technology was being neglected. Thus he began
designing robot teams, consisting of many units with a single controller.
Brooks is a futurist who envisions microscopic insect robots that
might live in your house, coming out at night to clean your floors and
countertops.“Antibody robots”of even tinier proportions could be injected
into a person infected with some heretofore-incurable disease. Controlled
by a central microprocessor, they could seek out the disease bacteria or
viruses and swallow them up. Compare AUTONOMOUS ROBOT.

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