Inspired by termites and their building activities, the TERMES project is working toward developing a swarm construction system in which robots cooperate to build 3D structures much larger than themselves. The current system consists of simple but autonomous mobile robots and specialized passive blocks; the robot is able to manipulate blocks to build tall structures, as well as maneuver over and around the structures it creates. A multi-robot control would allow many simultaneously active robots to cooperate in building structures.
Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University