The article
The TERMES Project has finished after completing its four year run. The results of this project are rather interesting. The idea was that the TERMES robots are very simple, but are capable of working together to build relatively complex structures over time, using a simple set of rules that don't require any centralized command or control. Each bot has a plan of what the structure they are building is and follows rules figured out by a computer that will then send this to all of the bots. After that the bots simply place blocks where they are needed. For the most part the bots go about their business avoiding bumping into one another but otherwise ignore one another.
The implications
This seems as though it is a rather haphazard way to build something however, it is a rather effective system that saves a lot time and energy that would be needed to set up a command center. Another advantage is that it doesn't matter how many bot you use. You could use one or one thousand and the only difference would be the time it would take to build the structure you wish to make.