Biography
Biography: Alfonso Iniguezr
Abstract
Background: Various companies and academic institutions are actively researching the field of swarm robotics. A survey on the topic reveals two distinct approaches: A. Each swarm member behaves autonomously without a central computer e.g. Harvard University’s 1024 Robot Swarm. B. Each swarm member is controlled through a central computer, e.g. Intel’s drones showcased by Disney’s light show and Super Bowl 2017.
Description of the Problem: In the case of A, the system falls into the realm of flocking behavior. This system suffers from: 1. Awareness: members are not aware of their available capabilities. 2. Autonomy: members must be told what to do. 3. Solidarity: members lack the ability to accomplish a mission using collective intelligence. In the case of B, members are slaves in a system controlled by a central computer. This system suffers from: 4. Expandability: members cannot be added dynamically. 5. Resiliency: the system lacks the ability to self-heal when members are removed.
Description of the Solution: Alfonso Iniguez is the first researcher to design an architecture that complies with the five principles of swarm intelligence: 1. Awareness: each member is aware of its available capabilities. 2. Autonomy: each member operates autonomously; this is essential to self-coordinate allocation of labor. 3. Solidarity: each member continuously volunteers its available capabilities until the mission is accomplished. 4. Expandability: members can be dynamically aggregated ad infinitum. 5. Resiliency: members can be removed while the system self-heals ad infinitum. The proposed solidarity cell architecture goes beyond flocking behavior and spectacular light shows. The technology will enable unmanned ground-air reconnaissance missions, precision farming, manufacturing robots, autonomous fleet management, and interplanetary exploration.