A study of mini-robots bucket brigade system

A system in which multi autonomous robots with 40 mm diameter remove fragments from a narrow passage by a bucket brigade has been studied. In this system, under the condition of narrow passage and none of the robots passing each other, multi robots with limited functions and simple algorithms remove fragments efficiently and deliver them cooperatively. In this study, computer simulations have been carried out to extract the subject of functions and algorithms of the robot. As a result, it has been found that the time interval between each robot is important for a smooth bucket brigade without stagnation of fragments or their threefold collision with any initial interval. Both algorithms with a communication function and a pair of front and rear touch sensors of a robot have been prepared in order that the distributed robots can adjust their interval autonomously. An attempt has been made to apply the algorithms to actual robots.