Drift Lab

Drones deciding who catches what.

The problem

Drifters float toward a handful of sites, each worth a different amount. Catcher drones launch from depots, and each drifter should be caught by exactly one of them.

The run is lost when too much weight has fallen.

The approach

It is built in stages: first a central dispatcher assigns every catcher, then the drones coordinate among themselves by messaging each other, with a limited range and relay drones to extend it.