Brilliant 10: Edwin Olson Creates An Autonomous Robot Army
Edwin Olson Courtesy Edwin OlsonOne robot isn't so smart, but get enough of them together and they can complete a complex mission. In a large, sunlit laboratory at the University of Michigan, Edwin Olson sits surrounded by his robot army. On most days, his 16 compact rovers, like rolling, bar-coded bread boxes, rest dormant on steel shelves. But with the flip of a switch, Olson can turn them into a reconnaissance team that maps a location autonomously and identifies items of interest, whether earthquake victims, military targets, or IEDs. Edwin OlsonAge 35University of Michigan"Compared to a human, a single robot is a terrible searcher and decision maker," Olson says. "When you have a complex task, the only way robots win is if you can get a lot of them to work together." As opposed to flocking or swarming systems, Olson's system employs a multi-agent approach. Each robot has a...