Electronic ecosystem. View of four robots used in 'pre-rational intelligence' research. The robots roam a space in which obstacles, in the form of can

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Electronic ecosystem. View of four robots used in 'pre-rational intelligence' research. The robots roam a space in which obstacles, in the form of candles, are evenly distributed. When the robot encounters a candle, it turns on the spot to try to gather the obstacle and carry it away. If the resistance to the pushing force exceeds a pre-set level, the robot backs off and continues its search. After a few hours the candles have been rounded up in a single spot by the robots. This research shows how a few robots may complete a 'group' task without communication, similar to some behaviour seen in ants. Photographed at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Bielefeld, Germany.

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Size: 3574px × 2480px
Photo credit: © JURGEN SCRIBA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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