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About This Webisode
FLOCK OF ROBOTS:
Flying High Using Automation
Learning how robots talk to each other can translate to helping the Air Force gather data through its manned and unmanned aircraft. So, engineers at a research lab in Dayton, Ohio, are teaching teams of robots to communicate by creating virtual robot environments. The robots are programmed to communicate using radio waves -- just like a computer wireless network at home.
Then, the engineers apply their findings to actual robots, which work together as a team to achieve goals. Each navigates via a sensor, which collects information from surroundings. This information can be converted into electrical signals so a computer or person can respond to it. The goal: to install these sensors in airplanes to capture information about the environment below.
"Yes, we are playing with toys all day -- but it's more than that," says electrical engineer Mark Oliver. "We're also learning how to solve difficult problems."
