The research on small-scale robots has benefited tremendously from prior technological advances in MEMS. This journey started in 1980s where the vision of silicon chip-based robots with onboard sensors, actuators, and power supplies was proposed. Today, the challenge remains: how do we power these micro marvels and equip them with sufficient force to perform their tasks? The initial segment of this workshop will explore cutting-edge sensors and actuators, novel manufacturing methods, and creative strategies to address the energy limitations inherent in small-scale robotic systems.

The progress in small-scale robotics opens a dialogue about the creation of artificial agents that emulate the capabilities of their biological counterparts. In nature, the collective behaviors of simple agents—like ant colonies, bee hives, and schools of fish—illustrate how local interactions can lead to complex group dynamics, where the system as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Small-scale robots, with their compact dimensions and cost-effectiveness, serve as ideal platforms for exploring embodied and swarm intelligence. The workshop's second session will convene experts in swarm robotics, with a particular emphasis on micro-robots, to highlight the latest progress from theory to real-world applications in swarm design, fabrication, actuation, and coordination.

The goal of this workshop aims to (1) introduce students to the state-of-the-art research in small scale robots and their potential applications as a swarm, and (2) inspire new robotic systems that bridge small-scale robotic platforms and collective swarm systems, and facilitate discussion between established researchers and rising stars.