'Instinctive' cellular robots

Abstract

Describes an approach to the design of cellular mobile units featured by 'instinctive' behavior and forming collectively a 'society' of robots. Each robotic unit has its own 'personality' and 'lives' independently from the others. The behavior of each unit derives from a 'subsumption-like' control structure, which emphasizes the roles of 'innate personality', external stimuli, and communication. An example of implementation of instinctive behavior in a real robotic vehicle is presented, and a possible application of the proposed approach to the practical case of a robot system for collecting objects is illustrated.<>