Distributed amorphous ramp construction in unstructured environments

We present a model of construction using iterative amorphous depositions and give a distributed algorithm to reliably build ramps in unstructured environments. The relatively simple local strategy for interacting with irregularly shaped, partially built structures gives rise robust adaptive global properties. We illustrate the algorithm in both the single robot and multi-robot case via simulation and describe how to solve key technical challenges to implementing this algorithm via a robotic prototype.

[1]  Justin Werfel,et al.  TERMES: An Autonomous Robotic System for Three-Dimensional Collective Construction , 2011, Robotics: Science and Systems.

[2]  Spring Berman,et al.  Optimized Stochastic Policies for Task Allocation in Swarms of Robots , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[3]  Nicholas Roy,et al.  Construction of Cubic Structures with Quadrotor Teams , 2012 .

[4]  Hod Lipson,et al.  A robotically reconfigurable truss , 2009, 2009 ASME/IFToMM International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots.

[5]  Radhika Nagpal,et al.  Three-Dimensional Construction with Mobile Robots and Modular Blocks , 2008, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[6]  Fabio Gramazio,et al.  Digitally Fabricating Non-Standardised Brick Walls , 2007 .

[7]  Behrokh Khoshnevis,et al.  Automated construction by contour craftingrelated robotics and information technologies , 2004 .

[8]  Mark Yim,et al.  Structure synthesis on-the-fly in a modular robot , 2011, 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[9]  Radhika Nagpal,et al.  Materials and mechanisms for amorphous robotic construction , 2012, 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[10]  J. S. Turner,et al.  The Extended Organism: The Physiology of Animal-Built Structures , 2000 .

[11]  James A. Reggia,et al.  Automated design of distributed control rules for the self-assembly of prespecified artificial structures , 2008, Robotics Auton. Syst..

[12]  Francesco Mondada,et al.  Autonomous construction using scarce resources in unknown environments , 2012, Auton. Robots.

[13]  Seth Bullock,et al.  Logistic Constraints on 3D Termite Construction , 2004, ANTS Workshop.

[14]  G Theraulaz,et al.  Coordination in Distributed Building , 1995, Science.

[15]  Fumiya Iida,et al.  Robotic body extension based on Hot Melt Adhesives , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[16]  Mark Yim,et al.  Factory floor: A robotically reconfigurable construction platform , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[17]  Eric Klavins,et al.  A compositional framework for programming stochastically interacting robots , 2011, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[18]  Arch W. Naylor,et al.  Linear Operator Theory in Engineering and Science , 1971 .