(May 12, 2015) Using
a smart tablet and a red beam of light, Georgia Institute of Technology
researchers have created a system that allows people to control a fleet of
robots with the swipe of a finger. A person taps the tablet to control where
the beam of light appears on a floor. The swarm robots then roll toward the
illumination, constantly communicating with each other and deciding how to
evenly cover the lit area. When the person swipes the tablet to drag the light
across the floor, the robots follow. If the operator puts two fingers in
different locations on the tablet, the machines will split into teams and
repeat the process.