Robots acting locally and building globally, by Judith Korb. Robots that act like termites can construct complex structures, guided only by simple rules and sensing their local environment. Science 14 Feb 2014;343:742-743. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6172/742  Podcast: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6172/799.2

754 - Designing Collective Behavior in a Termite-Inspired Robot Construction Team

By Justin Werfel, Kirstin Petersen, Radhika Nagpal. Science14 Feb 2014 : 754-758.

Robots programmed with simple construction rules can work independently but collectively to build a complex structure. [Also see Perspective by Korb]

Videos of the robots in action