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A Simplified Approach to Realize Cellular Automata for UBot Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots

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Abstract

—Like cellular systems—Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots (MSRR)—accomplish certain tasks through coordination of numerous independent modules. At the center of Cellular Automation (CA) is the sliding cube model (SCM) that is a mainstay supporting theoretical developments. Motion constraints of physical modules limit the application of CA method in real robotic systems. This paper proposes a new strategy for implementing CA on MSRR—which is a synergy of CA rules and modular design. Firstly, using the geometric expression of CA rules for SCM, a 2-DOF cube-shaped MSRR module (UBot system) is proposed, which lays the foundation for implementation of unified and highly effective modular locomotion criteria. Secondly, cellular rules are arranged according to the locomotion property of UBot module, and distributed control algorithm is designed for the robot to explore unknown environments. Simulations results verified this approach with reconfiguration locomotion of UBot robots in diverse unfamiliar environments. Hardware experiment with 16 modules also indicates the physical feasibility of the method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System Harbin institute of technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China

    Yanhe Zhu, Dongyang Bie, Sajid Iqbal, Xiaolu Wang, Yongsheng Gao & Jie Zhao

Authors
  1. Yanhe Zhu
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  2. Dongyang Bie
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  3. Sajid Iqbal
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  4. Xiaolu Wang
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  5. Yongsheng Gao
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  6. Jie Zhao
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Correspondence to Yongsheng Gao.

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Zhu, Y., Bie, D., Iqbal, S. et al. A Simplified Approach to Realize Cellular Automata for UBot Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots. J Intell Robot Syst 79, 37–54 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-014-0084-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-014-0084-z

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