Princeton University researchers built a swarm of 40 interconnected mini-robots that 'bloom' like flowers in response to changing light. Dubbed the Swarm Garden, these SGbots use Wi-Fi to communicate and collectively decide how to arrange themselves, mimicking adaptive biological systems.

Inspired by living architectures like beehives and fire ant colonies, the project explores dynamic building facades. Unlike static structures, a robotic swarm could let buildings adapt to daily or seasonal climate shifts, potentially improving energy efficiency and human interaction with architecture.

The authors drew on swarm intelligence algorithms from plants, insects, and birds. While still a proof-of-concept, this work points toward future 'living buildings' that use soft, responsive modules instead of rigid mechanical systems to manage light and ventilation.