Self-reconfiguration with Unit-Compressible Modules

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The vision of this proposed work is to create more versatile robots by using self-reconfiguration: hundreds of small modules will autonomously organize and reorganize as geometric structures to best fit the terrain on which the robot has to move, the shape the object the robot has to manipulate, or the sensing needs for the given task. 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 we propose to meet through (1) new designs for reconfigurable systems 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 robot systems.More specifically, the main goal for this proposed work is to develop a general algorithmic theory for self-reconfiguration, focused on (1) developing a theoretical basis for self-reconfiguration; (2)developing centralized and distributed algorithms for self-reconfiguration planning; (3) developing locomotion algorithms that use self-reconfiguration and maintain the dynamic stability of the structure; and (4) developing applications of self-reconfiguration planning to self-repair. In addition, we plan to develop experiments to test these algorithms on a specific self-reconfiguring robot designed in our lab called The Crystal Robot. The experiments will be focused on general self-reconfiguration and its applications toversatile locomotion and self-repair.