4 minute lesson
Have you ever seen a school of fish swimming or a large flock of birds flying and wondered how they act in unison so gracefully?
Swarming robots can give us a lot of insight into some of the curious ways things from cells to lightning bugs interact in unison without a clear form of communication.
From watching the ways that these robots solve problems and become more efficient at problem-solving, we can learn new ways to solve some of our own problems. These robots can lead to advances in medicine and health treatments and can be a great tool for experimentation.
In helping us learn about the natural world, they give us infinite inspiration for innovation across fields and disciplines.
DEEP LOOK is a science video series that explores big science by going very, very small, from KQED and PBS Digital Studios.
Using macro photography and microscopy they are looking at the world up close.
Thanks to EWCed writer Kati Murphy from Clarkson University for this touchstone and for her contribution to EWCed!
“Can A Thousand Tiny Swarming Robots Outsmart Nature? | Deep Look.” YouTube. Deep Look, 21 July 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDsmbwOrHJs>.