Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Additionally, loss of power may require a worker to be listed as dead
(“killed off” via an apoptosis mechanism [ 145 , 161 ]).
Self-protecting: In addition to protecting themselves from collision with as-
teroids and other spacecraft, ANTS teams must protect themselves from
solar storms, where charged particles can degrade sensors and electronic
components and destroy solar sails (the ANTS spacecraft's sole source of
power and primary means to perform maneuvering). ANTS teams must
re-plan their trajectories or, in worst-case scenarios, must go into “sleep”
mode to protect their sails and instruments and other subsystems.
The concept of autonomicity can be further elaborated beyond the self-
chop properties listed above. Three additional self-properties - self-awareness,
self-monitoring, and self-adjusting - will facilitate the basic self-properties.
Swarm (ANTS) individuals must be aware (have knowledge) of their own
capabilities and limitations, and the workers, messengers, and rulers will
all need to be involved in constant self-monitoring and (if necessary) self-
adjusting, thereby forming a feedback control loop. Finally, the concept of
autonomicity would require environmental awareness. The swarm (ANTS) in-
dividuals will need to be constantly environmentally aware to enable effective
self-adaptation and ensure mission success.
10.5 Software Development of Swarms
Developing the software for the ANTS missions would be monumentally com-
plicated. The total autonomy requirement would mean that the software would
likely be based on a heuristic approach that accommodates the swarm's so-
cial structure. Artificial-intelligence technologies, such as genetic algorithms,
neural nets, fuzzy logic, and on-board planners are candidate solutions. But
the autonomic properties, which alone make the system extremely complex,
are only part of the challenge. Add intelligence for each of the thousand inter-
acting spacecraft, and it becomes clear that the mission depends on several
breakthroughs in software development.
10.5.1 Programming Techniques and Tools
A primary requirement would be a new level or new class of programming
techniques and tools that either replace or build on object-oriented develop-
ment. The idea is to reduce complexity through novel abstraction paradigms
that would essentially “abstract away” complexity. Developers would use pre-
defined libraries or components that have been solidly tested and verified. The
level of programming languages would need to be high enough that developers
could use constructs that are natural extensions to the software type under
development.
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