"But with an algorithm that allows them to assemble in parallel, then they can shape up faster"-Could a variation of the Paxos algorithm accomplish this? It sounds like the task of achieving agreement among several robots without a centralized leader is analogous to the decentralized parliament described in Lamport's Paxos paper.
What are the intended applications of such a swarm?
Would this apply to parking driverless cars, does it apply to avoiding drone collision crashes midair at drone airports, does it have an application at a cellular level i.e. blood clotting big wounds?
I think it's more about the algorithm and the proof of concept than those robots and that swarm having any application. It's a step forward in the domain, not necessarily a finality.
It seems like they need to follow the exterior path of the current 'blob' as well as the destination shape as it's being formed. If they all moved at once, it'd be pandemonium!
