Robot Swarms Get First Real Test

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant for University of Wyoming researchers to determine if swarms of mini-robots can successfully detect the sources of chemical or biological hazards.
The research team, led by Diana Spears in the Department of Computer Science, previously demonstrated in simulated environments that the robot sensor network can effectively trace and identify the sources of chemical plumes. The new SGER (Small Grant for Exploratory Research) allows them to take the research a step further and apply the system to the identification of actual chemical substances.
These tiny robots could help clean up oil spills or respond to a terrorist attack.