Synchronization of Moving Chaotic Robots

In this letter we introduce a robotic system ruled by the interaction mechanisms of the mathematical model for synchronization of moving chaotic agents discussed in [1]. Our aim is to provide a proof-of-concept demonstrating the applicability of the theoretical model in a real scenario where factors commonly neglected in numerical simulations such as parameter mismatches, noise, message loss, and deviations from planned movements are present. The experimental setup is based on a team of Elisa-3 robots, each of them carrying an internal variable with chaotic dynamics. The robots move as independent random walkers and, when in the proximity of other units, exchange information on the state variables of the associated chaotic oscillators. We contrast our results with a theoretical analysis based on the master stability function and show that the mismatches and non-idealities of the system do not hamper synchronization of the units, but a regime of robust synchronization emerges, under given conditions on the parameters of agent motion and on the system dynamics. Synchronization emerges also in the presence of a significant loss of messages in the communication among robots, while the entire repertoire of dynamical behaviors of the theoretical model is observed when the loss of messages is reduced acting on the communication system.