Stigmergic Algorithms for Simple Robotic Devices (Extended abstract)

This position paper is meant to discuss the use of stigmergy in minimalist robotic systems, and to argue for a methodological approach based on the combination of formal analysis and empirical evaluation. In the full paper we will illustrate this approach in three case studies: building a globally optimal navigation map, building a gas concentration gradient map, and updating the above maps dynamically. All case studies have been implemented in a real environment with inexpensive robots, using an RFID floor as the stigmergic medium