Convergence Accelerator Bio-Inspired Design Innovations: All-Terrain Self-Assembling Robotic Conveyor System Inspired by Slime Mold Behaviors and Ant Assemblages

This convergent and translational research project will develop a swarm of interlocking robotic tiles able to transport goods and equipment over difficult and uncontrolled terrain. This project addresses the growing impact of natural disasters, which cause billions in annual damages. A key challenge in recovery efforts is the difficulty in extricating debris from the disaster site and moving equipment into the affected areas. The envisioned system that the researchers will develop will enable the on-demand formation of an all-terrain conveyor system to mitigate these difficulties and make the work of first responders safer and more efficient while enabling municipalities to respond to and recover from disasters more quickly. The system will also alleviate challenges faced in vertical construction and construction in confined spaces, making these activities more efficient during day-to-day operations. The researchers draw inspiration from both fire ants and slime molds. Fire ants are often observed linking their bodies to form rafts in flooded conditions, showing how self-assembly behaviors help swarms adapt to difficult environments. Slime molds offer a compelling behavioral model for decentralized coordination of transport tasks, such as the ones the robot tiles will undertake in disaster scenarios. The work towards realizing a fully autonomous robotic tile swarm builds upon efforts during Phase 1 of the project and will involve maturing the algorithms and hardware to conform to user needs. The researchers will adhere to principles of human-centered design to identify how the system can best fit alongside existing means and methods and will employ standard design and engineering procedures to realize the hardware-algorithm system. The overall deliverable of this project will be a full-stack realization of a user-focused robotic self assembling system that operates based on network growth principles observed in nature. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.