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

本研究研究了配备触摸传感器、简单光通信装置和力传感器的自主移动机器人模块的线性团簇形态发生和形态重构的动态发生机制。每个自主移动机器人模块在碰撞时都是直线移动和/或反向旋转，并通过棘轮臂连接。我们还研究了在模块之间的力学相互作用下，通过线性团簇形态发生的动态过程自组织的线性团簇机械系统的直线型和圆形运动特性。研究通过使用DADS进行计算机模拟，并使用一些定制的子程序来表示硬件模块的机械碰撞，并通过20个硬件机器人模块进行实验。(1)在机器人模块与另一个模块碰撞时以相反方向旋转并通过连接棘轮臂相互连接的传感器-运动协调下，机器人模块之间可以以随机方式逐级连接，线性集群机械系统的平均大小可达6 ~ 7个模块。发现最重要的参数是相互作用模块的数量和它们的运动速度。(2)线性集群机械系统通过改变前导模块相对于跟随模块的运动速度，可以实现直线前进或圆周运动，即当前导模块的运动速度超过跟随模块时，系统几乎直线前进或呈弓形圆周运动；在其他情况下，它以圆形旋转。(3)形态重构与自重构是由相同的形态发生机制进行的，自重构可以取代整个簇体中包含功能异常模块的子簇。以下是未来的一些研究项目：(1)自主移动机器人模块（三臂或四臂）的形态及其传感器-运动协调对自组织集群机械系统形态特征的影响和作用；(2)传感器-运动协调将使自生成适合给定任务和环境的集群机械系统的适当形态成为可能。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