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Modular Robots

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Springer Handbook of Robotics

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Abstract

This chapter presents a discussion of modular robots from both an industrial and a research point of view. The chapter is divided into four sections, one focusing on existing reconfigurable modular manipulators typically in an industry setting (Sect. 22.2) and another focusing on self-reconfigurable modular robots typically in a research setting (Sect. 22.4). Both sections are sandwiched between the introduction and conclusion sections.

This chapter is focused on design issues. Rather than a survey of existing systems, it presents some of the existing systems in the context of a discussion of the issues and elements in industrial modular robotics and modular robotics research. The reader is encouraged to look at the references for further discussion on any of the presented topics.

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Abbreviations

AIM:

assembly incidence matrix

CEBOT:

cellular robotic system

CNC:

computer numerical control

DH:

Denavit–Hartenberg

DOF:

degree of freedom

GA:

genetic algorithm

MIPS:

microprocessor without interlocked pipeline stages

POE:

local product-of-exponential

RMMS:

reconfigurable modular manipulator system

SA:

simulated annealing

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore, Singapore

    I-Ming Chen

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, 220 South 33rd Street, PA 19104, Philadelphia, USA

    Mark Yim

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  1. I-Ming Chen
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Correspondence to I-Ming Chen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125, Naples, Italy

    Bruno Siciliano

  2. Department of Computer Sciences, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, CA 94305, Stanford, USA

    Oussama Khatib

Video-References

Video-References

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SMORES available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/1

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4x4ht4a available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/2

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M-Blocks: Momentum-driven, magnetic modular robots self-reconfiguring available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/3

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ATRON robot showing robust and reversible execution of self-reconfiguration sequences available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/22/videodetails/5

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Chen, IM., Yim, M. (2016). Modular Robots. In: Siciliano, B., Khatib, O. (eds) Springer Handbook of Robotics. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32552-1_22

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