kilobot formation control

The identification of traversable terrain within an environment is essential for the development of autonomous robotic networks capable of operating over a wide area within a rapidly evolving environment. We propose the usage of many robots with fixed formations to be able to move through an environment and provide the necessary odometry to map out the region. We design and implement an algorithm for a group of four Kilobots, robots that are capable of broadcasting communication, motion, distance sensing, but not odometry to walk together in a straight line with a square formation. Our algorithm is able to provide consistent motion that far outstrips the capability of a single robot. Specifically, we find that algorithms that try to fix the angles between constituent robots perform well in maintaining a prescribed bearing, but tend to drift in the long run. However, algorithms that try to move first to keep their lateral edges parallel take a while to equilibriate, but tend to hold their bearing and formation for longer without any type of global error correction. We hope that our studies can serve as a springboard for future work on odometry with formation control.