modular robotics at PARC

[obots]

Team • Chain • Lattice • Pubs • Demos • Sims • Links

Modular Reconfigurable Robotics is an approach to building robots for various complex tasks. Instead of designing a new and different mechanical robot for each task, you just build many copies of one simple module. The module can't do much by itself, but when you connect many of them together you get a system that can do complicated things. In fact, a modular robot can even reconfigure itself -- change its shape by moving its modules around -- to meet the demands of different tasks or different working environments.

This project addresses the question "What are the limitations on the number of modules for a useful modular reconfigurable robotic system? " How does the number of modules affect:

•	Versatility (different shapes)
•	Robustness (self-repair and redundancy)
•	Cost (economies of scale?)

Robotics researchers learn how to program PolyBot modules at IROS 2003. (click here)

Robotics Research

Demonstrations. We have demonstrated a variety of capabilities with these systems. View photos and videos

Simulations. We have also provided a Java simulation environment for others to experiment with motion planning. View simulation info

Why reconfigure? An simulation was made in 1994 that shows an example of when reconfiguration would be advantageous. View simulation

Publications. There is a variety of research papers and news publications about this work. View index

People.Many people have worked on this project. View the team

In the News. Some popular press on our systems. View the links to news

Acknowledgement. The project or effort depicted is sponsored in part under contract MDA972-98-C-0009 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Modular Robot Systems

	PolyBot At PARC we have currently three generations of PolyBot. These have demonstrated a variety of locomotion, climbing, manipulation as well as manual and self-reconfiguration.
	Polypod The precursor to PolyBot, Polypod represents work done at Stanford University from 1992 - 1994 studying robot locomotion in general.
	Telecube Each face of the cube can expand or retract and connect or disconnect from neighboring modules. This is a 3D version of the 2D "Crystalline" robot of Rus and Vona.
	Proteo Rhombic dodecahedron shaped modules reconfigure by rolling over edges. This system has only been simulated so far.
	Digital Clay Modules are similar to proteo except they have no actuators. People move the modules to use the system as a 3D user tactile user interface.