Shape-shifting modular robot is more than the sum of its parts
1. 11. 2018 | Cornell University | www.cornell.edu
General-purpose robots have plenty of limitations. They can be expensive and cumbersome. They often accomplish only a single type of task. But modular robots – composed of several interchangeable parts, or modules – are far more flexible.
If one part breaks, it can be removed and replaced. Components can be rearranged as needed – or better yet, the robots can figure out how to reconfigure themselves, based on the tasks they’re assigned and the environments they’re navigating.
Now, a Cornell-led team has developed modular robots that can perceive their surroundings, make decisions and autonomously assume different shapes in order to perform various tasks. The robots are composed of wheeled, cube-shaped modules that can detach and reattach to form new shapes with different capabilities. The modules, developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, have magnets to attach to each other, and Wi-Fi to communicate with a centralized system.
Read more at Cornell University
Image Credit: Tarik Tosun
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