SUPERBOT: A Deployable, Multi-Functional, and Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robotic System

Publication Type:

Conference Paper

Authors:

Salemi, B.; Moll, M.; Shen, W.

Source:

Proc. 2006 IEEE/RSJ Intl. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing, China, p.3636--3641 (2006)

URL:

http://www.kavrakilab.org/sites/default/files/2006 superbot a deployable, multi-functional, and modular self-reconfigurable.pdf

Keywords:

self-reconfigurable robots; modular robots

Abstract:

Self-reconfigurable robots are modular robots that can
autonomously change their shape and size to meet specific
operational demands. Recently, there has been a great
interest in using self-reconfigurable robots in
applications such as reconnaissance, rescue missions, and
space applications. Designing and controlling
self-reconfigurable robots is a difficult task. Hence, the
research has primarily been focused on developing systems
that can function in a controlled environment. This paper
presents a novel self-reconfigurable robotic system called
SuperBot, which addresses the challenges of building and
controlling deployable self-reconfigurable robots. Six
prototype modules have been built and preliminary
experimental results demonstrate that SuperBot is a
flexible and powerful system that can be used in
challenging real-world applications.