FireAnt3D: A 3D self-climbing robot towards non-latticed robotic self-assembly

Petras Swissler, Michael Rubenstein

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Robotic self-assembly allows robots to join to form useful, on-demand structures. Unfortunately, the methods employed by most self-assembling robotic swarms compromise this promise of adaptability through their use of fixed docking locations, which impair a swarm's ability to handle imperfections in the structural lattice resulting from load deflection or imperfect robot manufacture; these concerns worsen as swarm size increases. Inspired by the amorphous structures built by cells and social insects, FireAnt3D uses a novel docking mechanism, the 3D continuous dock, to attach to like robots regardless of alignment. FireAnt3D demonstrates the use of the 3D continuous docks, as well as how a robot can use such docks to connect to like robots and locomote over arbitrary 3D arrangements of its peers. The research outlined in this paper presents a profoundly different approach to docking and locomotion during self-assembly and addresses longstanding challenges in the field of robotic self-assembly.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, IROS 2020
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages3340-3347
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781728162126
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 24 2020
Externally publishedYes
Event2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, IROS 2020 - Las Vegas, United States
Duration: Oct 24 2020Jan 24 2021

Publication series

NameIEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
ISSN (Print)2153-0858
ISSN (Electronic)2153-0866

Conference

Conference2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, IROS 2020
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLas Vegas
Period10/24/201/24/21

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Software
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Computer Science Applications

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