Swarm Robotics and Formations of Robots

ii ver 1.1-20070620 This work studies different types of architectures of robot formations compar-ing them. The control of formations of robots consists in how to coordinate a group of robots making them to maintain determined relative positions and ori-entations between them while moving in the environment. Sometimes a desired outline must be achieved, not only an internal structure. Some of the archi-tectures have been reproduced in the SwarmSim simulator specifically built for this purpose. The set of robot formations are analyzed from the perspective of Swarm Robotics, taking into account their scalability on the number of mem-bers. Swarm Robotics is the study of how to coordinate large groups of relatively simple autonomous robots through the use of local rules. It takes its inspira-tion from societies of insects, that can accomplish tasks that are beyond the capabilities of the individuals. A study of the characteristics and properties of swarm robotic systems is done, and some of the main projects in this area ar