Distributed replication algorithms for self-reconfiguring modular robots

Self-reconfiguring modular robots have the ability to reform themselves into a wide variety of different shapes to accomplish their tasks. In addition, a group of self-reconfiguring modules can divide up into several smaller groups to perform operations (such as exploration) in parallel. In either instance, due to the large number of independent modules in the system, distributed algorithms are highly desirable. In this paper, we describe a set of homogeneous distributed algorithms for self-reconfiguring modular robots that allow division and locomotion in two and three dimensional systems as well as recombination in two dimensions. The algorithms are written in a rule-based style inspired by cellular automata, and allow for the development of correctness analyses, which are also presented here.

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