CISE Postdoctoral Research Associates in Experimental Computer Science: Postdoctoral Research in Self-Reconfiguring Robots

9901589 RUS，丹妮拉·达特茅斯学院是实验计算机科学博士后研究助理：自我重新配置机器人的博士后研究这项工作的愿景是通过使用自我重新配置创建更多功能的机器人：数百个小模块自动组织和重新组织为几何结构，以最适合机器人必须移动的地形，机器人必须操作的对象的形状，或给定任务的传感需求。利用快速发展的机器人技术制造的大量微型机器人将执行有用的协调工作，包括小规模的驱动和修复、小型人工制品的运输、表面属性的主动操纵等。为了创建能够应用于此类应用的灵活、健壮和自主的机器人系统，本研究的一个基本目标是建立一个自我重构机器人的科学基础。这是一个相当大的挑战，正在通过(1)可重构系统的新设计和(2)能够赋予自主可重构能力的算法规划和控制的新想法来应对。这种可重构的机器人科学将极大地提高分布式机器人系统的自主能力。更具体地说，这项工作的中心挑战是：(1)设计和构建简单的三维自重构模块；(2)利用这些模块构建分布式机器人系统；(3)开发和实现集中式和分布式的规划算法和控制系统，允许一组模块按照任何期望的静态或动态几何结构进行自重构；(4)分析运动过程中自重构结构的动态稳定性和容错性；(5)通过实验验证了该技术在多用途运动和操作、自修复等方面的适用性。

9901589 Rus, Daniela Dartmouth College CISE Postdoctoral Research Associates in Experimental Computer Science: Postdoctoral Research in Self-Reconfiguring RobotsThe vision of this work is to create more versatile robots by using self-reconfiguration: hundreds of small modules autonomously organizing and reorganizing as geometric structures to bestfit the terrain on which the robot has to move, the shape the object the robot has to manipulate, or the sensing needs for a given task. Large collections of mini robots, fabricated using rapidly evolving robotic technology will perform useful coordinated work, including small scale actuation and repair, transport of small artifacts, active manipulation of surface properties, etc.To create flexible, robust, and autonomous robotic systems capable of such applications, a fundamental goal of this research is to develop a science-base for self-reconfiguring robotics. This is a considerable challenge, which is being met through (1) new designs for reconfigurablesystems and (2) new ideas on algorithmic planning and control that can confer autonomous reconfigurability. This kind of reconfigurable robotics science will greatly enhance the autonomous capabilities of distributed robotic systems.More specifically, the central challenges for this work are to (1) design and build simple modules that can self-reconfigure in three dimensions; (2) build distributed robot systems using these modules; (3) develop and implement centralized as well as distributed planning algorithms andcontrol systems that allow a set of modules to self-reconfigure as any desired static or dynamic geometric structures; (4) analyze the dynamic stability and fault tolerance of self-reconfiguring structures during motion; and (5) demonstrate the applicability of this technology through experiments in versatile locomotion and manipulation, and self-repair.