Researchers at Adelaide University have developed a swarm robotics system inspired by the cooperative behaviour of bees and ants, with findings suggesting the technology could improve safety, efficiency and sustainability in future mining operations.
The research, published in Natural Sciences, explores how social insects work together to locate and transport food, applying those principles to teams of small robots capable of operating without a central control system.
According to Adelaide University, the approach aims to address challenges facing the mining industry as operations expand into deeper, more remote and difficult-to-access environments. While automation has already improved productivity and worker safety, the researchers said many existing systems remain costly, inflexible and dependent on a central controller.
To investigate an alternative, the research team used small Zumo 2040 robots in a laboratory environment designed to replicate mining conditions. They evaluated three approaches: a basic system in which robots collected ore and returned immediately; an ant-inspired model where robots divided tasks between locating and transporting resources; and a honeybee-inspired system that first explored and mapped the area before collecting materials.
Unlike conventional automated systems, the swarm robots made independent decisions while working together, allowing operations to continue even if individual robots failed.
Lead author Dr Joven Tan, who conducted the study as part of his PhD at Adelaide University’s School of Chemical Engineering, said nature provided valuable insights for robotics.
“Social insects have developed very efficient ways of solving problems together,” Dr Tan said.
“By applying these ideas to robotics, we can create systems that are more efficient, adaptable and reliable for industries such as mining.”
According to the researchers, the honeybee-inspired approach delivered the strongest performance during laboratory testing. It reduced travel distance by up to 80 per cent, lowered energy consumption by about 50 per cent and completed ore delivery tasks up to 60 per cent faster than the basic system by exploring and remembering resource locations before collecting them.
The ant-inspired approach also improved performance by allocating different roles to individual robots, with one robot identifying resources while another transported them.
Project leader and co-author Dr Noune Melkoumian said the findings demonstrated how biological systems could inform engineering solutions.
“Nature has spent millions of years developing efficient ways for groups to work together,” Dr Melkoumian said.
“By learning from these systems, we can develop new technologies that are more flexible, reliable and efficient.”
The researchers noted that the concepts were tested using physical robots in a laboratory setting rather than relying solely on computer simulations.
They also acknowledged that further work is needed before the technology could be deployed in operational mines, including improving sensors, extending battery life and adapting the systems to unpredictable underground environments.
Despite these challenges, Dr Melkoumian said swarm robotics could eventually be used in hazardous or difficult-to-access mining areas, potentially reducing risks to workers while improving productivity. He added that the technology may also have future applications in space mining, where autonomous systems are expected to play a significant role.
The study, titled Bio-Inspired Swarm Robots Design for Mine Automation, was published in Natural Sciences.
