Paul Van Rijn

"Have you ever wondered, how do laser guided robots behave when they get together? It’s not an easy question to answer. Interesting behaviours can emerge when groups of simple mechanisms interact. Meet EXPO, O.G., BOXHORN, GREEN and PUSHY, the LoFi robots. Each one is made from cardboard, hot glue, a tiny laser, and some commonly available electronic components. They were made as quick prototypes to test the question of emergent behaviors.. They are programmed to spin around until they “see” a light, then they stop spinning and drive straight ahead for a short time. They can’t make maps. They can’t see except to tell if there is a light in their “antennae”. They can’t even tell how far away the light might be. Yet somehow they manage to get together. They were not made to last, yet here they are, still partying in the name of academic investigation! "