In this paper we combine two frameworks in the context of animportant application. The first framework, called “artificialphysics”, is described in detail in a companion paper by Spearsand Gordon (1999). The purpose of artificial physics is the distributedspatial control of large collections of mobile physical agents. Theagents can be composed into geometric patterns (e.g., to act as asensing grid) by having them sense and respond to local artificialforces that are motivated by natural physics laws. The purpose of thesecond framework is global monitoring of the agent formations developedwith artificial physics. Using only limited global information, themonitor checks that the desired geometric pattern emerges over time asexpected. If there is a problem, the global monitor steers the agents toself-repair: our combined approach of local control through artificialphysics, global monitoring, and “steering” for self-repairis implemented and tested on a problem where multiple agents form ahexagonal lattice pattern
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