4 accepted papers
Large-scale 3D autonomous self-reconfigurable modular robots are made of numerous interconnected robotic modules that operate in a close packing. The modules are assumed to have their own CPU and memory, and are only able to communicate with their direct neighbors. As such, the robots embody a speci…
We discuss selected mechanical aspects of self-reconfiguration of densely-packed modular robots. The change of connection topology and transport of modules are fundamental mechanisms for these systems, which determine their desired emergent behavior, e.g., movement, shape change or interaction with…
Module localization is an important aspect of the operation of self-reconfigurable robots. The knowledge of spatial positions of modules, or at least of the overall shape which the modules form, is the usual prerequisite for reconfiguration planning. We present a general, decentralized algorithm for…
A collective actuator is a self-reconfigurable modular-robotic structure which produces useful mechanical work through simultaneous reconfiguration of its constituent units. An actuator is additionally called scalable if its force-to-weight ratio does not depend on the number of its member modules.…