Techotic

Scientists from 10 different European universities are collaborating in a $9 million USD European funded Symbrion project to create swarms of hundreds of autonomous, Transformer-style robots.

Scientists aim to create a prototype team of self-organizing, shape-changing mini robots that work as a team by 2013.These self-healing robots will be able to dock with each other, share energy and co-operate to maximize their abilities to achieve different tasks. The mad scientists behind the project say that future applications include search and rescue missions, space exploration, and medicine.

The prototype swarm will consist of several hundred individual autonomous units, each measuring around an inch square, and the robots will be able to evolve, adapt and collaborate without human supervision. These robots have functionality of their own, and they can make decisions about when and who to kill, to adapt and change as the situation requires. Scary!

Prof Winfield, of the University of the West of England, Bristol stated that “the first swarm of these transformer type robots would be ready for use in real life situation between 10 -15 years from now”