Study on Morpho-genesis and Morpho-reconfiguration of a Cluster Mechanical System Composed of Autonomous Mobile Robot Modules

研究了具有触觉传感器、简单光通信装置和力传感器、直线运动和反向旋转、碰撞时通过棘轮臂连接的自主移动的机器人模块的线性集群形态发生和形态重构的动态涌现机制.并通过模块间机械相互作用下线性团簇形态发生的动力学过程，研究了线性团簇机械系统自组织的直线运动和圆周运动特性。调查已进行了计算机模拟，使用DADS与一些定制的子程序，代表机械碰撞的硬件模块，并通过实验，使用20个硬件机器人模块。（1）在传感器-电机协调下，机器人模块在与另一个模块碰撞时沿相互相反的方向旋转， ...更多信息 通过连接棘轮臂相互连接，机器人模块之间可以随机逐级连接，线性集群机械系统的平均规模可以达到6 - 7个模块。最重要的参数被发现是相互作用的模块的数量和它们的移动速度。（2）通过改变前端模块相对于随动模块的移动速度，线性集群机械系统可以直线向前移动或以圆周方式移动，即，当它超过从动轮时，系统几乎直线向前运动或呈弓形的圆形运动;当它超过从动轮时，系统以圆形形式旋转。（3）发现形态重构与自重构的形态发生机制相同，可以从整个簇体中替换包含故障模块的子簇。以下是未来的一些研究项目：（1）个体自主移动的机器人模块的形态的影响和效果（3臂或4臂）及其感觉-运动协调对自组织集群力学系统形态特征的影响，以及（2）传感器-运动协调，其将使得能够自生成适合于给定任务和环境的集群机械系统的适当形态。少

This study has investigated the dynamic emergence mechanisms of linear cluster morpho-genesis and morpho-reconfiguration of autonomous mobile robotic modules, each of which is equipped with touch-sensor, simple light communication device and force sensor, moves straight-forward and/or rotates in opposite direction and connects by ratch-arms when colliding each other. And also we have investigated the straight-forward and circular locomotion characteristics of a linear cluster mechanical system self-organized through the dynamic process of linear cluster morpho-genesis emerged under the mechanical interaction between the modules. The investigation has been performed by computer simulation using DADS with some custom-made subroutines for representing mechanical collision of hardware modules and also by experiments using 20 hardware robotic modules.(1)Under the sensor-motor coordination that a robot module takes rotation in mutually opposite direction at collision to another module and co … More nnects with each other by a connecting ratch-arm, the robotic modules can connect each other by step by step in random way and the average size of the linear cluster mechanical system can reach 6 to 7 of modules. The most important parameters are found to be number of interacting modules and their moving speed.(2)The linear cluster mechanical system can move straight forward or in a circular manner by changing the moving speed of the front-head module with respect to the follower-ones, i.e., when it exceeds the follower's, the system moves almost straight forward or a circular in a bow shape ; when other case, it rotates in a circular form.(3)The morpho-reconfiguration is found to be undertaken by the same morpho-genesis mechanism as to that of self-reconfiguration that can replace a sub-cluster containing a mal-functioned module from the whole cluster body.The followings are some of the future research items :(1)Influence and effect of morphology of individual autonomous mobile robot module (3-arms or 4-arms) and of its sensor-motor coordination on the morphological characteristics of the self-organized cluster mechanical systems, and(2)Sensor-motor coordination that will make it possible to self-generate the proper morphology of a cluster mechanical system suitable to the given task and environment. Less