Entangled Gondolas. Design of Multi-layer Networks of Quantum-Driven Robotic Swarms

Abstract

Swarms of robots can be thought of as networks, using the tools from telecommunications and network theory. A recent study designed sets of aquatic swarms of robots to clean the canals of Venice, interacting with computers on gondolas. The interaction between gon- dolas is one level higher in the hierarchy of communication. In other studies, pairwise communications between the robots in robotic swarms have been modeled via quantum computing. Here, we first apply quan- tum computing to the telecommunication-based model of an aquatic robotic swarm. Then, we use multilayer networks to model interactions within the overall system. Finally, we apply quantum entanglement to formalize the interaction and synchronization between “heads” of the swarms, that is, between gondolas. Our study can foster new strategies for search-and-rescue robotic-swarm missions, strengthening the connec- tion between different areas of research in physics and engineering.