Thanks to Time Techland and in particular Keith Wagstaff for this. Is this the start of the end for humans?
The NAO robots, built by Aldebaran Robotics and programmed by MIT’s Patrick Bechon and Jean-Jacques Slotine, utilize a process called quorum sensing to synchronize themselves. In nature, quorum sensing is when bacteria emit molecules into the environment so individuals can keep track of how many organisms are around them and what they’re doing.
Instead of molecules, each of these robots sends out data, which makes it possible to synchronize with the others even when one’s been removed from the group and set on its bottom. According to MIT’s Technology Review, this has implications beyond Michael Jackson dance routines:
Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27852/
