Amoeba-Like Mobility by a Group of Units

Second International Conference on Multiagent Systems

Volume

Second International Conference on Multiagent Systems

Contents

Amoeba-like mobility as emergent functionality was realized by a multi-agent robot system in computer simulations. For the coordination between units" movements for the amoeba-like mobility, the restrictions to GU are organized into a "Dissipative Structure" to be used as useful information to do the cooperative task. One restriction, for example, is an obstacle on the way of GU to a goal. Then GU should recognize and avoid the obstacle. Use of the structured information leads to a mechanism that does not load units with heavy computational burden due to GU’s self-organizing feature. Since, the GU’s free dissipative structure itself is an intelligent processor. The medium of information for agents is "Vibrating Potential Field (VPF)." The showed flexible changes in the shape of its own body--to move around, avoid physical obstacles, and wrap a food--by not giving algorithms to GU but only to individual unit. This model can show highly-coordinated primitive intelligent behavior by lower level units without high ability.