Swarm Robotics is an exciting area of research in MAS. Finding ways that fleets of robots can work together in specific tandem fashions can enable higher-order operation and task completion. Often mimicking the collective social behaviors displayed by animals such as fish and birds, these systems follow simple rules and create more sophisticated interactions [1]. One area that has been quite interesting for a while is using tiny robots to treat disease states, and such work has been explored before, but more future work will need to be done for such systems to be employed in clinical settings [2].

Going into the future, it will be interesting to see how MAS systems in swarm robotics integrate with other robotic technologies, such as soft robotics, to enable complex medical procedures [3]. Such systems need not be overly technological but rather can use more simple chemical and physical properties to engage with their targets, as shown in the Whitesides research group [4]. This leads us to the nexus of many different fields where we can use intelligent automation techniques and swarm-like behaviors in conjunction with new advancements in the materials and biomedical sciences to enable much more applicability of both swarm and soft robotic technologies. 

Sources:

[1] M. Dorigo, G. Theraulaz, and V. Trianni, “Swarm Robotics: Past, Present, and Future [Point of View],” Proc. IEEE, vol. 109, no. 7, pp. 1152–1165, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1109/JPROC.2021.3072740.

[2] “Mini Robot Enters Blood Vessels, Completes Surgery - IEEE Spectrum.” Accessed: Dec. 13, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://spectrum.ieee.org/mini-robot-surgeon

[3] G. M. Whitesides, “Soft Robotics,” Angew Chem Int Ed, vol. 57, no. 16, pp. 4258–4273, Apr. 2018, doi: 10.1002/anie.201800907.

[4] “Soft Robotics.” Accessed: Dec. 12, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://gmwgroup.harvard.edu/soft-robotics