Abstract
This chapter presents a discussion of modular robots from both an industrial and a research point of view. The chapter is divided into four sections, one focusing on existing reconfigurable modular manipulators typically in an industry setting (Sect. 22.2) and another focusing on self-reconfigurable modular robots typically in a research setting (Sect. 22.4). Both sections are sandwiched between the introduction and conclusion sections.
This chapter is focused on design issues. Rather than a survey of existing systems, it presents some of the existing systems in the context of a discussion of the issues and elements in industrial modular robotics and modular robotics research. The reader is encouraged to look at the references for further discussion on any of the presented topics.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Abbreviations
- AIM:
-
assembly incidence matrix
- CEBOT:
-
cellular robotic system
- CNC:
-
computer numerical control
- DH:
-
Denavit–Hartenberg
- DOF:
-
degree of freedom
- GA:
-
genetic algorithm
- MIPS:
-
microprocessor without interlocked pipeline stages
- POE:
-
local product-of-exponential
- RMMS:
-
reconfigurable modular manipulator system
- SA:
-
simulated annealing
References
K. Ulrich: The role of product architecture on the manufacturing firm, Res. Policy 24, 419–440 (1995)
C. Paredis, H.B. Brown, P. Khosla: A rapidly deployable manipulator system, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1996) pp. 1434–1439
T. Fukuda, S. Nakagawa: Dynamically reconfigurable robot system, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1988) pp. 1581–1586
R. Cohen, M. Lipton, M. Dai, B. Benhabib: Conceptual design of a modular robot, ASME J Mech. Des. 25, 114–117 (1992)
K.H. Wurst: The conception and construction of a modular robot system, Proc. 16th Int. Symp. Ind. Robots (ISIR) (1986) pp. 37–44
D. Tesar, M.S. Butler: A generalized modular architecture for robot structures, ASME J. Manuf. Rev. 2(2), 91–117 (1989)
T. Matsumaru: Design and control of the modular robot system: TOMMS, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1995) pp. 2125–2131
G. Yang, I.-M. Chen, W.K. Lim, S.H. Yeo: Kinematic design of modular reconfigurable in-parallel robots, Auton. Robot. 10(1), 83–89 (2001)
I.-M. Chen: Rapid response manufacturing through a rapidly reconfigurable robotic workcell, Robotics Comput. Integr. Manuf. 17(3), 199–213 (2001)
Schunk GmbH, Lauffen, Germany, http://www.schunk.com/
W. Wang, W. Yu, H. Zhang: JL-2: A mobile multi-robot system with docking and manipulating capabilities, Int. J. Adv. Robotic Syst. 7(1), 9–18 (2010)
B. Li, S. Ma, J. Liu, M. Wang, T. Liu, Y. Wang: AMOEBA-I: A shape-shifting modular robot for urban search and rescue, Adv. Robotics 23(9), 1057–1083 (2009)
P. Moubarak, P. Ben-Tzvi: Modular and reconfigurable mobile robotics, Robot. Auton. Syst. 60, 1648–1663 (2012)
H.C.H. Chiu, M. Rubenstein, W.M. Shen: Multifunctional superbot with rolling track configuration, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2007)
I.-M. Chen, J.W. Burdick: Enumerating non-isomorphic assembly configurations of a modular robotic system, Int. J. Robotics Res. 17(7), 702–719 (1998)
J. Liu, Y. Wang, S. Ma, Y. Li: Enumeration of the non-isomorphic configurations for a reconfigurable modular robot with square-cubic-cell modules, Int. J. Adv. Robotic Syst. 7(4), 58–68 (2010)
H. Liu, H. Wang, S. Li, L. He: Research on the topology description and modeling method for reconfigurable modular robots, Proc. ASME/IFToMM Int. Conf. Reconfig. Mech. Robot. (ReMAR) (2009) pp. 129–135
E. Meister, A. Gutenkunst: Self-adaptive framework for modular and self-reconfigurable robotic systems, Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Adapt. Self-Adapt. Syst. Appl. (ADAPTIVE) (2012) pp. 30–37
I.-M. Chen, G. Yang, S.H. Yeo, G. Chen: Kernel for modular robot applications – Automatic modeling techniques, Int. J. Robotics Res. 18(2), 225–242 (1999)
I.-M. Chen, C.T. Tan, G. Yang, S.H. Yeo: A local POE model for robot kinematic calibration, Mech. Mach. Theory 36(11), 1215–1239 (2001)
J.M. Hollerbach: A recursive lagrangian formulation of manipulator dynamics and a comparative study of dynamics formulation complexity, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. 10, 730–736 (1980)
G. Rodriguze, A. Jain, K. Kreutz-Delgado: A spatial operator algebra for manipulator modeling and control, Int. J. Robotics Res. 10(4), 371–381 (1991)
R. Murray, Z. Li, S. Sastry: A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation (CRC, Boca Raton 1994)
R. Featherstone: Robot Dynamics Algorithms (Kluwer, Dordrecht 1987)
F.C. Park, J.E. Bobrow, S.R. Ploen: A lie group formulation of robot dynamics, Int. J. Robotics Res. 14(6), 609–618 (1995)
I.-M. Chen, J.W. Burdick: Determining task optimal modular robot assembly configurations, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1995) pp. 132–137
J. Han, W.K. Chung, Y. Youm, S.H. Kim: Task based design of modular robot manipulator using efficient genetic algorithm, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1997) pp. 507–512
C. Paredis, P.K. Khosla: Agent based design of fault tolerant manipulators for satellite docking, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1997) pp. 3473–3480
G. Yang, I.-M. Chen: Task-based optimization of modular robot configurations: Minimized degree-of-freedom approach, Mech. Mach. Theory 35(4), 517–540 (2000)
M. Yim, W.M. Shen, B. Salemi, D. Rus, M. Moll, H. Lipson, E. Klavins, G. Chirikjian: Modular self-reconfigurable robot systems – Challenges and opportunities for the future, IEEE Robotics Autom. Mag. 14(1), 43–52 (2007)
K. Stoy, D. Brandt, D.J. Christensen: Self-Reconfigurable Robots -- An Introduction (MIT, Cambridge 2010)
D. Rus, M. Vona: Self-reconfiguration planning with compressible unit modules, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1999)
S. Murata, E. Yoshida, K. Tomita, H. Kurokawa, A. Kamimura, S. Kokaji: Hardware design of modular robotic system, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2000)
K. Kotay, D. Rus: Self-reconfigurable robots for navigation and manipulation, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (1997)
C. Ünsal, H. Kiliççöte, P.K. Khosla: I(CES)-cubes: A modular self-reconfigurable bipartite robotic system, Proc. SPIE, Sens. Fusion Decent. Control Robotic Syst., Bellingham (1999) pp. 258–269
A. Castano, W.M. Shen, P. Will: CONRO: Towards deployable robots with inter-robots metamorphic capabilities, Auton. Robots 8(3), 309–324 (2000)
W.H. Lee, A.C. Sanderson: Dynamic analysis and distributed control of tetrobot modular reconfigurable robotic system, Auton. Robots 10(1), 67–82 (2001)
E. Tuci, R. Gross, V. Trianni, F. Mondada, M. Bonani, M. Dorigo: Cooperation through self-assembly in multi-robot systems, ACM Trans. Auton. Adapt. Syst. (TAAS) 1(2), 115–150 (2006)
J.W. Suh, S.B. Homans, M. Yim: Telecubes: Mechanical design of a module for self-reconfigurable robotics, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2002)
M.W. Jorgensen, E.H. Ostergaard, H.H. Lund: Modular Atron: Modules for a self-reconfigurable robot, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2004) pp. 2068–2073
M. Hafez, M.D. Lichter, S. Dubowsky: Optimized binary modular reconfigurable robotic devices, IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 8(1), 18–25 (2003)
P. White, V. Zykov, J. Bongard, H. Lipson: Three dimensional stochastic reconfiguration of modular robots, Proc. Robotics Sci. Syst. 1, 161–168 (2005)
B. Kirby, J. Campbell, B. Aksak, P. Pillai, J. Hoburg, T. Mowry, S.C. Goldstein: Catoms: Moving robots without moving parts, Proc. Natl. Conf. Artif. Intell. 20, 1730–1731 (2005)
S.C. Goldstein, J.D. Campbell, T.C. Mowry: Programmable matter, Computer 38(6), 99–101 (2005)
A.A. Goldenberg, N.M. Kircanski, P. Kuzan, J.A. Wiercienski, R. Hui, C. Zhou: Modular, expandable and reconfigurable robot, US Patent 5523662 (1996)
H. Lipson, J.B. Pollack: Towards continuously reconfigurable self-designing robotics, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2000)
J.E. Walter, E.M. Tsai, N. Amato: Choosing good paths for fast distributed reconfiguration of hexagonal metamorphic robots, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2002)
A. Castano, P. Will: Representing and discovering the configuration of CONRO robots, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2001) pp. 3503–3509
K. Støy, W.M. Shen, P. Will: Global locomotion from local interaction in self-reconfigurable robots, Proc. 7th Int. Conf. Intell. Auton. Syst. (IAS-7), Marina del Rey (2002)
P. Will, B. Salemi, W.M. Shen: Hormone-controlled metamorphic robots, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2001) pp. 4194–4199
A. Kamimura, S. Murata, E. Yoshida, H. Kurokawa, K. Tomita, S. Kokaji: Self-reconfigurable modular robot – Experiments on reconfiguration and locomotion, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2001) pp. 606–612
R. Fitch, D. Rus, M. Vona: Basis for self-repair robots using self-reconfiguring crystal modules, Proc. IEEE Int. Auton. Syst. (2000) pp. 903–910
G.S. Chirikjian, A. Pamecha, I. Ebert-Uphoff: Evaluating efficiency of self-reconfiguration in a class of modular robots, J. Robotic Syst. 13(5), 317–338 (1996)
F.H. Bennett, E.G. Rieffel: Design of decentralized controllers for self-reconfigurable modular robots using genetic programming, Proc. 2nd NASA/DoD Workshop Evol. Hardw. (2000)
Z. Butler, R. Fitch, D. Rus: Distributed control for unit-compressible robots: Goal-recognition, locomotion, and splitting IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 7(4), 418–430 (2002)
M. Yim, Y. Zhang, K. Roufas, D. Duff, C. Eldershaw: Connecting and disconnecting for chain self-reconfiguration with PolyBot, IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 7(4), 442–451 (2002)
Y. Zhang, M.P.J. Fromherz, L.S. Crawford, Y. Shang: A general constraint-based control framework with examples in modular self-reconfigurable robots, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2002) pp. 2163–2168
H. Bojinov, A. Casal, T. Hogg: Emergent structures in modular self-reconfigurable robots, robotics and automation, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2000)
P. Pirjanian, C. Leger, E. Mumm, B. Kennedy, M. Garrett, H. Aghazarian, S. Farritor, P. Schenker: Distributed control for a modular, reconfigurable cliff robot, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2002)
K.C. Prevas, C. Unsal, M.O. Efe, P.K. Khosla: A hierarchical motion planning strategy for a uniform self-reconfigurable modular robotic system, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2002)
W.W. Melek, A.A. Goldenberg: Neurofuzzy control of modular and reconfigurable robots, IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 8(3), 381–389 (2003)
M. Yim, D.G. Duff, K.D. Roufas: Polybot: A modular reconfigurable robot, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2000) pp. 514–520
M. Yim, Y. Zhang, D. Duff: Modular Reconfigurable Robots, Machines that shift their shape to suit the task at hand, IEEE Spectrum 39(2), 30–34 (2002)
M. Yim, C. Eldershaw, Y. Zhang, D. Duff: Limbless conforming gaits with modular robots. In: Springer Tract. Adv. Robot., Vol. 21, 2006) pp. 459–468
M. Yim, J. Reich, A.A. Berlin: Two approaches to distributed manipulation. In: Distributed Manipulation, ed. by K. Bohringer, H.H. Choset (Kluwer, Dordrecht 2000) pp. 237–261
J. Davey, N. Kwok, M. Yim: Emulating self-reconfigurable Robots – Design of the SMORES system, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2012)
H.B. Brown, J.M. Vande Weghe, C.A. Bererton, P.K. Khosla: Millibot trains for enhanced mobility, IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron. 7(4), 452–461 (2002)
S. Murata, K. Kakomura, H. Kurokawa: Toward a scalable modular robotic system, IEEE Robotics Autom. Mag. 14(4), 56–63 (2007)
M. Yim, B. Shirmohammadi, J. Sastra, M. Park, M. Dugan, C.J. Taylor: Towards robotic self-reassembly after explosion, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2007) pp. 2767–2772
M. Kutzer, M. Moses, C. Brown, M. Armand, D. Scheidt, G. Chirikjian: Design of a new independently-mobile reconfigurable modular robot, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2010)
H. Cheng, G. Ryland: Design of iMobot, an intelligent reconfigurable mobile robot with novel locomotion, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2010)
F.P. Brooks: The Mythical Man-Month (Addison-Wesley, Reading 1975)
M. Rubenstein, R. Nagpal: Kilobot: A robotic module for demonstrating behaviors in a large scale (210 units) collective, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2010) pp. 47–51
Y. Zhang, M. Yim, C. Eldershaw, D. Duff, K. Roufas: Scalable and reconfigurable configurations and locomotion gaits for chain-type modular reconfigurable robots, Proc. IEEE Symp. Comput. Intell. Robotics Autom. (CIRA) (2003)
E. Yoshida, S. Murata, S. Kokaji, K. Tomita, H. Kurokawa: Micro self-reconfigurable modular robot using shape memory alloy, J. Robotics Mechatron. 13(2), 212–218 (2001)
M.E. Karagozler, S.C. Goldstein, J.R. Reid: Stress-driven MEMS assembly${}+{}$electrostatic forces${}={}$1mm diameter robot, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2009)
M.E. Karagozler, J.D. Campbell, G.K. Feddore, S.C. Goldstein, H.P. Weller, B.W. Yoon: Electrostatic latching for inter-module adhesion, power transfer, and communication in modular robots, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2007)
I. O'Hara, J. Paulos, J. Davey, N. Eckenstein, N. Doshi, T. Tosun, J. Greco, Jungwon. Seo, M. Turpin, V. Kumar, M. Yim: Self-assembly of a swarm of autonomous boats into floating structures, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2014) pp. 1234–1240
L. Vasilescu, P. Varshavshaya, K. Kotay, D. Rus: Autonomous modular optical underwater robot (amour) design, prototype and feasibility study, Proc. IEEE ICRA (2005)
P.J. White, S. Revzen, C.E. Thorne, M. Yim: A general mechanical strength model for programmable matter and modular robotic structures, Robotica 29(1), 103–121 (2011)
N. Eckenstein, M. Yim: The X-Face: An improved planar passive mechanical connector for modular self-reconfigurable robots, Proc. IEEE/RSJ IROS (2012) pp. 3073–3078
S. Murata, H. Kurokawa, E. Yoshida, K. Tomita, S. Kokaji: A 3-D self-reconfigurable structure, Proc. IEEE ICRA (1998) pp. 432–439
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Video-References
Video-References
- :
-
SMORES available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/1
- :
-
4x4ht4a available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/2
- :
-
M-Blocks: Momentum-driven, magnetic modular robots self-reconfiguring available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/3
- :
-
ATRON robot showing robust and reversible execution of self-reconfiguration sequences available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/5
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chen, IM., Yim, M. (2016). Modular Robots. In: Siciliano, B., Khatib, O. (eds) Springer Handbook of Robotics. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32552-1_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32552-1_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-32550-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32552-1
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)