REVIEW ON SWARM ROBOTICS PLATFORMS

Swarm robotics (SR), deals with the design and control of multiple robots. An innovative idea usually gets converted into a viable technology subsequent to series of activities, such as mathematical modelling, algorithm analysis, coding and testing in a simulated or prototype hardware. Development of robotics, can barely rely on software simulations exclusively, since robots are often pre-conceived to deal with intricate applications in the real world. Even so, software simulations can be used for the pre-evaluation of algorithms. Resort to modelling and simulation (M&S), of convoluted natural disasters or life-critical scenarios, inevitably compromise the accuracy of test results in simulation environments. Here comes the importance of robotics platforms. Verification of algorithms mimicking the real world, require reliable, flexible, scalable hardware platforms, especially for swarm robotics. This paper presents a comprehensive review of test platforms available for swarm robotics research (SRR).