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Deep diveROBOTICS

Robot Swarm Intelligence Rescue System SwarmRescue Deep Dive: 100 Micro-Robots Autonomously Formations to Search for Survivors in Rubble

SwarmRescue uses swarm intelligence algorithms to coordinate 100 micro-robots for autonomous search and localization of survivors in GPS-denied rubble environments.

Robot Swarm Intelligence Rescue System SwarmRescue Deep Dive

In October 2030, the Robotic Systems Laboratory at ETH Zurich published the complete test results of the SwarmRescue swarm intelligence rescue system in Science Robotics. SwarmRescue can coordinate 100 micro-robots to autonomously search for and locate survivors in rubble environments where GPS signals are completely unavailable.

Each SwarmRescue robot weighs only 200 grams and measures 8 centimeters in diameter, equipped with infrared sensors, microphones, gyroscopes, and ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning modules. The robots communicate and perform relative positioning through UWB signals, without relying on any external infrastructure.

ETH Zurich Professor Dario Floreano is the lead scientist of SwarmRescue. He explained the core principles of swarm intelligence: "Each robot follows three simple rules: maintain distance from neighbors, follow the neighbors' direction of movement, and avoid obstacles. The emergent swarm behaviors from these three rules — coverage search, dynamic formation, and information aggregation — arise entirely from local interactions between individuals, without requiring a central controller."

In a test site simulating earthquake rubble, SwarmRescue's 100 robots completed a full-coverage search of a 2,000-square-meter rubble area within 30 minutes, detecting all 15 simulated survivors (identified through body heat and sound signals). In comparison, 10 professional rescue personnel using traditional equipment would require approximately 4 hours to complete the same task.

Professor Floreano stated that SwarmRescue's greatest advantage is "redundancy" — even if 50% of the robots are damaged or lose contact, the remaining robots can autonomously regroup and continue executing the mission.

SwarmRescue is being commercialized by ETH Zurich spinoff company RoBoDev. A single robot costs approximately 500 Swiss francs, and a 100-unit set costs approximately 50,000 Swiss francs. The company plans to bring the product to civil defense departments in earthquake-prone countries by 2031.