Computing with Modular Robots

Propagating patterns are used to transfer and process information in chemical and physical prototypes of unconventional computing devices. Logical values are represented by fronts of traveling diffusive, trigger or phase waves. We apply this concept of pattern based computation to develop experimental prototypes of computing circuits implemented in small modular robots. In the experimental prototypes the modular robots Cubelets are concatenated into channels and junction. The structures developed by Cubelets propagate signals in parallel and asynchronously. The approach is illustrated with a working circuit of a one-bit full adder. Complementarily a formalization of these constructions are developed across Sleptsov nets. Finally, a perspective to swarm dynamics is discussed.

Universal One-Dimensional Cellular Automata Derived for Turing Machines and its Dynamical Behaviour

Universality in cellular automata theory is a central problem studied and developed from their origins by John von Neumann. In this paper, we present an algorithm where any Turing machine can be converted to one-dimensional cellular automaton with a 2-linear time and display its spatial dynamics. Three particular Turing machines are converted in three universal one-dimensional cellular automata, they are: binary sum, rule 110 and a universal reversible Turing machine.