Aiming at improving the efficiency of reconfiguration of mobile modular robots, the optimal reconfiguration planning and parallel control method are proposed in this work. The number of moving modules, the number of u...
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Aiming at improving the efficiency of reconfiguration of mobile modular robots, the optimal reconfiguration planning and parallel control method are proposed in this work. The number of moving modules, the number of undocking actions, and the total moving distance are considered in reconfiguration optimization with the lexicographic framework. The maximum common subgraph matching and searching tree are proposed to search the Pareto optimal solution. A distributed controller based on local consensus is designed for components that are rigidly connected by different numbers of modules and under different shapes. Parallel motion in the shared workspace brings a high efficiency of reconfiguration. The simulations and real-world experiments verify the effectiveness of our method.
This article presents a fast reconfiguration algorithm for cubic modular robots moving in narrow spaces. We assume that the cubic module can only slide across other modules' surfaces, which saves space compared wi...
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This article presents a fast reconfiguration algorithm for cubic modular robots moving in narrow spaces. We assume that the cubic module can only slide across other modules' surfaces, which saves space compared with previously studied cubic modules, such as those with rotating primitives. The algorithm can take arbitrary start and goal configurations and arrangements thereof and operates in a time that is linear to the number of modules. The algorithm is designed for cases with multiple overlapping regions between the start and goal configurations as well as cases with only one overlapping region. It assumes the use of a 2 x 2 x 2 meta-module robot structure for connectivity and mobility. It consists of two stages. In the first stage, a compact scaffolding structure is formed that does not extend outside the space of the start and goal configurations. In the second stage, the modules reconfigure themselves by moving along the scaffolding structure. We proved the completeness of the algorithm, and performed simulations showing that the algorithm can reconfigure a 2 x 2 x 2 meta-module robot structure with sliding-only cubic modules within a time that grows linearly with the number of modules.
In this paper, we explore the field of self-reconfigurable modular robots, representing a significant advance in robotic technology. These robots have many capabilities, offering high adaptability and flexibility for ...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9798350377712;9798350377705
In this paper, we explore the field of self-reconfigurable modular robots, representing a significant advance in robotic technology. These robots have many capabilities, offering high adaptability and flexibility for a variety of applications. However, computing the stability is challenging as it is computationally intensive, it needs to be distributed and fast, as close as possible of real-time. In this article, we introduce a distributed algorithm designed to overcome these challenges while taking mechanical constraints into account. At the heart of this algorithm is the notion of the "support polygon", which enables the stability of a modular robot to be assessed in real time. The algorithm is based on a fully distributed tree partitioning approach, facilitating efficient communication and collaboration between modules. The algorithm also uses a polygon merging approach to reduce the number of messages when creating the polygon support, thus significantly reducing response time. In fact, the response time of the method used is very small compared to other research. We also present simulation results on a simulator, VisibleSim, as well as experimental validation on real robotic modules, which underlines the practical viability of the approach. Overall, this work lays a solid base for further advances aiming to guarantee the stability of modular robots.
Traditional robots are developed to achieve specific goals or functions. They are mostly tracked, footed, rod-type and other structures. They are suitable for structured scenes such as flat ground, slopes, walls, etc....
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ISBN:
(纸本)9789819607976;9789819607983
Traditional robots are developed to achieve specific goals or functions. They are mostly tracked, footed, rod-type and other structures. They are suitable for structured scenes such as flat ground, slopes, walls, etc. They are obviously restricted by the terrain. At the same time, the functions are relatively simple. After the whole machine is designed and manufactured, the functions cannot be easily expanded. Compared with traditional robots, modular robots have the advantages of diversity, reliability and scalability, and are more suitable for unstructured scenes. This paper summarizes the common chain-type, crystal-type and hybrid modular robots from the perspective of structural morphology. On this basis, this paper proposes a spherical robot unit as the base unit of the modular robot and completes the body construction of the base unit through structural and circuit design. The modified D-H parameter method and Newtoon-Euler method are used to complete the kinematic and dynamic modeling respectively, and the motion simulation of "BaseUnit" is realized in the Simscape Multibody simulation environment, which preliminarily verifies the feasibility of BaseUnit to realize the self-reconfigurable modular robot system.
Lattice-based modular robot systems have been envisioned for large-scale construction in extreme environments, such as space. To optimize system weight and power consumption, heterogeneous approaches combining active ...
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Self-Reconfigurable modular robots typically consist of high number of modules with uniform docking interfaces, allowing them to transform into various shape. Recognizing the shape of such a system composed of hundred...
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With the increasing popularity of modular robotics, there has been an increasing need for reliable and strong connections between module units. This paper introduces two novel connectors, PAC (Power, Air, Communicatio...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9798350355376;9798350355369
With the increasing popularity of modular robotics, there has been an increasing need for reliable and strong connections between module units. This paper introduces two novel connectors, PAC (Power, Air, Communication) and MagLink (Magnetic Link), designed to advance the interconnectivity of modular robots and actuators. The PAC connector centralizes air, power, and communication in a single housing that simplifies integration and minimizes wiring complexities. Meanwhile, the MagLink connector employs a reversible, low power magnetic locking mechanism, ensuring robust and secure connections between robotic components. Both connectors can be integrated in a single compact unit. We characterized PAC connector in terms of maximum pressure, air flow, and sealing capabilities. MagLink was characterized in terms of connection strength, magnetic field/attractive forces to connect, alignment capture space, and power consumption. MagLink advantages are its low power consumption and 13-fold increase in strength compared to the regular magnetic connection. Together, PAC and MagLink herald a new opportunity in modular robotics, offering high force-to-weight ratio (6.4 N/g), high strength-to-power consumption ratio, reliable electrical connection, and pressure handling capabilities of at least 50 psi (0.34 MPa) packaged in a compact design that can be used across a wide range of robotic configurations. This research presents a step forward toward efficient electro-mechanical-pneumatic connectors for self-reconfigurable modular robots, promising practical solutions for a broad range of modular robotic applications.
Space Internet of Things (IoT) is growing to include complex systems like modular robots and space information networks (SIN) which necessitates efficient information diffusion mechanisms. This study investigates the ...
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On-orbit assembly of large infrastructures plays a pivotal role in future space missions. Taking the process of extraction of one assembling object, its transportation and placement by one or several modular robots as...
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On-orbit assembly of large infrastructures plays a pivotal role in future space missions. Taking the process of extraction of one assembling object, its transportation and placement by one or several modular robots as a single-robot (SR) or multi-robot (MR) assembling tasks, this paper investigates the problem of designing a task allocation method, so as to realize the adaptive coordination among modular robots. A receding task allocation method is developed to solve this problem in a dynamic and decentralized manner. By proposing the receding-task strategy, the allocation over all tasks is formulated as the allocations at each triggering time over receding tasks to reduce the online computational complexity, where the receding optimization and triggering mechanism based on real-time information can improve the adaptability to a dynamic environment. In order to satisfy the precedence constraints from assembly sequence and the special task requirements about MR tasks, a decentralized algorithm which is an extension of the consensus based bundle algorithm is designed for the allocation of receding tasks, which can reduce the online computational burden of individuals. Numerical simulations are carried out to validate the performance of the proposed method. (C) 2022 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
We introduce and analyze a model for self-reconfigurable robots made up of unit-cube modules. Compared to past models, our model aims to newly capture two important practical aspects of real-world robots. First, modul...
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