Abstract
In the domain of modular self-reconfigurable robotic systems, self-reconfiguration is known to be a highly challenging task. This article presents a novel algorithm for distributed self-reconfiguration by combining cellular automata and L-systems. Cellular automata is used to handle the relative motion planning of decentralized modules. L-systems are introduced to provide a topological description for the target configuration. The turtle interpretation is extended to modular robotics to generate local predictions for distributed modules from global description. Local predictions spread out in the system through gradient propagation. Modules, using cellular automata rules managing local motion, climb gradient to the expanding fronts for constructing global configurations. Both simulations and experiments have demonstrated the practical effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Highlights
Modular self-reconfigurable (MSR) robotics are built from completely independent working robotic modules
Based on the UBot[15,16] robots, we design a new modular mobile robot, which has the properties of MSR robots and mobile robots
Inspired by the growth of cell complexes in nature, we introduce L-systems for defining the development of robotic structures
Summary
Modular self-reconfigurable (MSR) robotics are built from completely independent working robotic modules. The turtle interpretation is extended to lattice robotics for providing modular-level information about global sense of the target configuration, which is a fundamental problem in distributed self-reconfiguration.[31] The sequential movement of turtles makes a practice algorithm for physical robots. Achievable information of independent modules in decentralized systems is limited to neighboring positions through local communication. L-systems and turtle interpretation must be extended to 3-D lattice space to direct the development of robotic configurations.
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