Linkages Passive and Active Modules

Self-reconfiguring robots are modular robot systems that are physically connected and capable of making different geometric structures. Most current research in this field is focused on homogeneous systems in which all the modules are identical. In this article, we explore the concept of self-assembling robot systems consisting of passive structural modules plus active robotic modules. We study a special class of heterogeneous self-reconfiguring robots we call active linkages. The robots in this class comprise two types of modules: passive structural bars, which may either be fixed in the world or free to move individually, and mobile active 2 and 3 degrees-of-freedom (DoF) modules with rotating grippers, which may pick up or climb on the passive modules, organize and hold them in a desired shape, and actively move them for self-assembly, self-reconfiguration, or selfrepair purposes. The passive modules can be passed around by the active modules and coordinate to form the skeleton of a large class of truss and linkage geometries. Figures 1 and 2 show a simulation of a self-assembling active tower belonging to this class. So far, we have manually fabricated the passive bars or used existing structures, but we predict that the absolute simplicity in form and function of this class of passive modules will ultimately enable on-demand manufacture in situ from elements present (or intentionally placed) in the local environment of the deployed system. Figures 3 and 4 show fixed and mobile active modules, respectively.

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