Reconfiguration planning for heterogeneous self-reconfiguring robots

Current research in self-reconfiguring robots focuses predominantly on systems of identical modules. However, allowing modules of varying types, with different sensors, for example, is of practical interest. In this paper, we propose the development of an algorithmic basis for heterogeneous self-reconfiguring systems. We demonstrate algorithmic feasibility by presenting O(n/sup 2/) time centralized and O(n/sup 3/) time decentralized solutions to the reconfiguration problem for n non-identical modules. As our centralized time bound is equal to the best published homogeneous solution, we argue that space, as opposed to time, is the critical resource in the reconfiguration problem. Our results encourage the development both of applications that use heterogeneous self-reconfiguration, and also heterogeneous hardware systems.

[1]  Ying Zhang,et al.  Distributed Control for 3D Metamorphosis , 2001, Auton. Robots.

[2]  Wei-Min Shen,et al.  Hormone-controlled metamorphic robots , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[3]  Marsette Vona,et al.  Crystalline Robots: Self-Reconfiguration with Compressible Unit Modules , 2001, Auton. Robots.

[4]  Rajeev Sharma,et al.  Coordinated motion planning: the warehouseman's problem with constraints on free space , 1992, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern..

[5]  H. Kurokawa,et al.  Self-assembling machine , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[6]  Mark Yim,et al.  New locomotion gaits , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[7]  Pradeep K. Khosla,et al.  Mechatronic design of a modular self-reconfiguring robotic system , 2000, Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065).

[8]  Sergei Vassilvitskii,et al.  A complete, local and parallel reconfiguration algorithm for cube style modular robots , 2002, Proceedings 2002 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.02CH37292).

[9]  E. J.,et al.  ON THE COMPLEXITY OF MOTION PLANNING FOR MULTIPLE INDEPENDENT OBJECTS ; PSPACE HARDNESS OF THE " WAREHOUSEMAN ' S PROBLEM " . * * ) , 2022 .

[10]  Daniela Rus,et al.  Locomotion versatility through self-reconfiguration , 1999, Robotics Auton. Syst..

[11]  Hajime Asama,et al.  Self-organizing collective robots with morphogenesis in a vertical plane , 1999 .

[12]  Zack J. Butler,et al.  Distributed motion planning for modular robots with unit-compressible modules , 2001, Proceedings 2001 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Expanding the Societal Role of Robotics in the the Next Millennium (Cat. No.01CH37180).

[13]  Gregory S. Chirikjian,et al.  Design And Implementation Of Metamorphic Robots , 1996 .

[14]  Eiichi Yoshida,et al.  Hardware design of modular robotic system , 2000, Proceedings. 2000 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2000) (Cat. No.00CH37113).

[15]  Lynne E. Parker,et al.  Robot Teams: From Diversity to Polymorphism , 2002 .

[16]  Gregory S. Chirikjian,et al.  Modular Robot Motion Planning Using Similarity Metrics , 2001, Auton. Robots.

[17]  Zack J. Butler,et al.  Generic decentralized control for a class of self-reconfigurable robots , 2002, Proceedings 2002 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.02CH37292).

[18]  Eiichi Yoshida,et al.  Self-assembly and self-repair method for a distributed mechanical system , 1999, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[19]  J. Schwartz,et al.  On the Complexity of Motion Planning for Multiple Independent Objects; PSPACE- Hardness of the "Warehouseman's Problem" , 1984 .