It may control and coordinate multiple mid-sized robots each of which in turn heads a team of Millibots. Such a hierarchical organization allows us to combine the autonomy and computation power of the large ATVs with the distributed sensing capabilities of a large number of covertly operating Millibots. To take full advantage of the distributed sensing capabilities of Millibot teams, it is important that these robots be inexpensive, lightweight, and small. Small and lightweight robots can be easily carried by their larger counterparts higher-up in the robot hierarchy. They can maneuver through small openings and into tight corners to observe areas that are not accessible to larger robots.
Small robots are also less noticeable allowing for covert operations in hostile territory.
By building them inexpensively, they can be deployed in large numbers to achieve dense sensing coverage, adaptability at the team level, and fault tolerance. To achieve both small size and a expansive capabilities, we are developing Millibots capable of carrying specialized platforms. Instead of equipping every robot with every sensor, computation, or communication capability, we are building robots that are each specialized for a particular aspect of the task. In one type of scenario, the robot team may be composed of robots with various range and position sensors but only limited computation capabilities. In this case these robots act as distributed sensor platforms remotely controlled by a team leader who performs the high-level planning.