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Feral Robotic Dogs Run in Packs
A pack of cooperative robotic dogs wired at Yale have been put to work sniffing for arsenic, lead and other pollutants in soil around schools and homes. They communicate with each other regarding their findings; the "dogs" are programmed to follow the pack member with the strongest sensor reading.
Natalie Jeremijenko at Yale has been working with toys that have been upgraded by installing a new nose (volatile organic compound - VOC - sensors) and a better brain (with "embedded pack behavior") to sniff out contaminants and follow concentration gradients.
Natalie Jeremijenko, 1999 Rockefeller Fellow, is an inventor and engineer whose work focuses on the design and analysis of tangible digital media.
See also the story on Bees Key to Cooperative Robots, with links to science fiction items of interest.
Reference sources:
'Feral' robot dogs trace pedigree to Yale engineer
Feral Robotic Dogs website.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 2/6/2004)
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