Robots swarms show promise says study

SWARMS of robots acting together to carry out jobs could provide new opportunities for people to harness the power of machines, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Sheffield Centre for Robotics have been working to program a group of 40 robots, and say the ability to control robot swarms could prove hugely beneficial in a range of contexts, from military to medical.

The researchers at the centre have demonstrated the swarm can carry out simple fetching and carrying tasks, by grouping around an object and working together to push it across a surface.