July 19, 2006 8:30 AM PDT
Harvard University's Collective Construction Lego Robots operate collectively, but independently of one another to build structures. There is no centralized control, but a family of algorithms that the robots follow. The team's eventual goal is to give the robots a blueprint and then walk away, team member Matthew Valente said. The robots could have uses in areas where humans can't go, such as deep underwater or in contaminated areas, said Radhika Nagpal, another team member. Think of them as social insects without a queen bee, she said.
Photo by Candace Lombardi/CNET News.com
