Blimpbots

Abstract

We propose to simulate complex system behavior similar to the schooling of fish, the flocking of birds, or the backup of a traffic jam, using a flock of computer-controlled indoor Microblimps. Several webcams and computers implementing a Scale-Invariant Feature-Transform (SIFT) algorithm will track the blimps, and their motion will be automatically controlled via radio. The parameters dictating the interactions of these "BlimpBots" will be modifiable by participants. By documenting the process and making available our algorithms, the project can be exported as a learning aid that provides a visceral demonstration of the often difficult-to-visualize concept of how small changes in a complex system can have a large transformational impact on the system as a whole.