Robot swarms neutralize harmful Byzantine robots using a blockchain-based token economy

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Robot swarms offer enhanced capabilities through cooperation, but are vulnerable to Byzantine robots disrupting coordination.
• Existing swarm robotics frameworks lack robust security mechanisms for inter-robot communication and coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile swarm robotics framework addressing security vulnerabilities.
• To investigate the use of blockchain technology and a token economy to mitigate the impact of Byzantine robots.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a token economy using blockchain technology and smart contracts for inter-robot interactions.
• Designed a smart contract to regulate crypto token distribution based on robot contributions.
• Tested the framework with physical robots (up to 24) in a collective-sensing scenario and simulated robots (over 100) for scalability.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that the smart contract effectively neutralized Byzantine robots by depleting their tokens.
• Confirmed the ability of robots to maintain blockchain networks within the swarm.
• Validated the feasibility and viability of blockchain-based token economies in swarm robotics.

Conclusions:

• A blockchain-based token economy provides a robust solution for securing robot swarms against Byzantine actors.
• The proposed framework enhances swarm resilience and ensures reliable performance in security-critical applications.