Towards Autonomous Construction using Stigmergic Blocks

In this article, we implement a multi-robot system to demonstrate a decentralized control strategy for building three-dimensional structures. The multirobot system consists of stigmergic blocks and autonomous robots. We adapt the control strategy presented in Theraulaz and Bonabeau (1995), which demonstrated multi-agent construction using lattice-based simulations. This control strategy was based on the behavior of social insects. We discuss the required modifications to this control strategy in order to implement it on a multirobot construction system. Through the use of hardware and simulation, we demonstrate how this control strategy can be used to perform the construction of a staircase and a stepped-pyramid without the need for centralized infrastructure, such as a positioning system.

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