Programmable self-assembly using biologically-inspired multiagent control
Proceedings of the first international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems: part 1
Introduction to Algorithms
Distributed Localization of Modular Robot Ensembles
International Journal of Robotics Research
Experiments with a ZigBee wireless communication system for self-reconfiguring modular robots
ICRA'09 Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE international conference on Robotics and Automation
Reliable External Actuation for Full Reachability in Robotic Modular Self-reconfiguration
International Journal of Robotics Research
Stochastic modular robotic systems: a study of fluidic assembly strategies
IEEE Transactions on Robotics
Blinky blocks: a physical ensemble programming platform
CHI '11 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
International Journal of Robotics Research
On-line assembly planning for stochastically reconfigurable systems
International Journal of Robotics Research
Modular and reconfigurable mobile robotics
Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Self-reconfigurable modular e-pucks
ANTS'12 Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Swarm Intelligence
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We describe the design, implementation and programming of a set of robots that, starting from an amorphous arrangement, can be assembled into arbitrary shapes and then commanded to self-disassemble in an organized manner to obtain a goal shape. We present custom hardware, distributed algorithms and experimental results from hundreds of trails which show the system successfully forming complex 3D shapes. Each of the 28 modules in the system is implemented as a 1.8-inch autonomous cube-shaped robot able to connect to and communicate with its immediate neighbors. Embedded microprocessors control each module's magnetic connection mechanisms and infrared communication interfaces. When assembled into a structure, the modules form a system that can be virtually sculpted using a computer interface and a distributed process. The group of modules collectively decides which elements are a part of the final shape and which are not using algorithms that minimize information transmission and storage. Finally, the modules not in the structure disengage their magnetic couplings and fall away under the influence of an external force: in this case, gravity.