Robotic morphogenesis

A new, biologically motivated approach to self-organizing pattern formation and function determination in a distributed array of many identical cells is presented. Methods for asynchronous pattern formation using linear swarm models, pattern formation by boundary pattern generation and propagation, and differentiation by message coding are proposed. A gradient descent based algorithm for linear swarms that guarantees convergence is introduced. 2D pattern formation in an array of identical cells is demonstrated by simulation.

[1]  B C Goodwin,et al.  Spatial harmonics and pattern specification in early Drosophila development. Part II. The four colour wheels model. , 1990, Journal of theoretical biology.

[2]  H. Meinhardt.  Pattern formation in biology: a comparison of models and experiments , 1992 .

[3]  H. Kurokawa,et al.  Self-assembling machine , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[4]  Fumihito Arai,et al.  Optimization of group behavior on cellular robotic system in dynamic environment , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[5]  Tamio Arai,et al.  Distributed and autonomous control method for generating shape of multiple mobile robot group , 1994, Proceedings of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS'94).

[6]  G. Beni,et al.  Stationary waves in cyclic swarms , 1992, Proceedings of the 1992 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control.

[7]  H. Meinhardt,et al.  Applications of a theory of biological pattern formation based on lateral inhibition. , 1974, Journal of cell science.

[8]  Jing Wang,et al.  Theoretical problems for the realization of distributed robotic systems , 1991, Proceedings. 1991 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[9]  A. Turing.  The chemical basis of morphogenesis , 1952, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences.