Bio-inspired coverage of invisible hazardous substances in the environment

Abstract

Inspired by the simplicity of how nature solves its problems, a controller based upon the bacteria chemotaxis behavior and flocking of starlings in nature is developed and presented. It would enable the localization and subsequent mapping of pollutants in the environment. The pollutants could range from chemical leaks to invisible air borne hazardous materials. Simulation is used to explore the feasibility of the proposed controller and then a brief discussion on how to implement it onto a real robotic platform is presented. By using the advantages offered by swarm robotics, it is possible to achieve a collective mapping of an invisible pollutant spread over a large area. The approach presented is very simple, computational efficient, easily tuned and yet highly effective (desirable characteristics of biological systems) in generating a representation of an invisible pollutant.