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Transformer, robot in disguise! Shape-shifting machine can switch between a delivery drone and an arm that can lift and move objects
- Scientists at Cornell University in New York, USA are behind the new machine
- The robot can perceive its own surroundings and make decisions autonomously
- Each machine is composed of wheeled, cube-shaped modules which can detach
- Should one part break, it can be removed and replaced with another newer part
James Wood For Mailonline
A shape-shifting robot that can autonomously reconfigure itself into a variety of different shapes has been developed by scientists.
The device can perceive its own surroundings, make decisions and autonomously assume different shapes, they say.
That means the shape-shifting machine can easily switch between a delivery drone and an arm that lifts and moves objects.
It is hoped that similar gadgets will one day be used in search and rescue operations and to explore distant planets.
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The shape-shifting robot is composed of wheeled, cube-shaped modules that can detach and reattach to form new shapes. Each reconfiguration is suited to the task the robot is assigned to complete
Hadas Kress-Gazit, the principal investigator on the project at Cornell University, said: ‘This is the first time modular robots have been demonstrated with autonomous reconfiguration and behavior that is perception-driven.
‘I want to tell the robot what it should be doing, what its goals are, but not how it should be doing it.’
The robots are composed of wheeled, cube-shaped modules that can detach and reattach to form new shapes with different capabilities.
If one part breaks, it can be removed and replaced while component parts of the machine can be rearranged as needed.
The robot’s component parts mean it can easily navigate difficult terrain, such as a flight of steps
The robot can assume a number of different shapes, including a delivery drone and an arm that can lift and move objects
The modules are attached to each other with magnets and use Wi-Fi to communicate. If one module breaks, it can easily be replaced with a new one
The modules have magnets to attach to each other, and Wi-Fi to communicate with a centralized system.
Ms Kress-Gazit said: ‘I don’t actually prescribe, “Move to the left, change your shape.” All these decisions are made autonomously by the robot.’
Other modular robot systems have successfully performed specific tasks in controlled environments.
But these robots are the reportedly the first to demonstrate fully autonomous behavior and reconfigurations based on the task and an unfamiliar environment.
WHAT IS A SELF RECONFIGURING MODULAR ROBOT?
Self-reconfiguring modular robots can adapt to perform a variety of tasks – such as lifting objects
These new robotic systems are able to reconfigure themselves to suit a variety of different tasks.
Activities the machine might be programmed to perform include carrying, lifting or building.
They are often composed of different parts meaning they can shape-shift with ease.
One might assume the role of a worm to fit through a narrow pipe, or something with spider legs to cross uneven terrain.
While modular robots – composed of different parts – have been around for a number of years, the self-reconfiguring machine is recent technology.
Experts at Cornell University claim they are the first create a robot which can demonstrate fully autonomous behaviour and reconfiguration based on a task and unfamiliar environment
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