Modular Robot Launched! Self-assembling detachable, real-life Transformers coming?

Today we are going to talk about “ modular robots ”.

In the cartoon "Big Hero 6", the protagonist invented a miniature magnetic robot that can be transformed into any shape through helmet control. This robot is actually a modular robot. Each module is a unit that integrates communication, control, drive, sensing. Users can compose a variety of specific robots according to functional requirements, so that they can be produced quickly in large quantities.

The so-called modular robot refers to a robot composed of modular joints modular connecting rods.

Before the advent of such robots, the tasks that general-purpose robots could perform were often very simple. A serving robot could only serve food, a sweeping robot could only sweep the floor. But the charm of modular robots lies in the fact that they can be flexibly formed into various shapes according to different environments tasks.

In other words, each independent module is equivalent to a miniature robot, the sensors on these miniature robots will explore obtain information about the surrounding environment, thereby deciding what to do how to do it based on different goals.

For example, when such a modular robot encounters an obstacle such as a stair, it may transmit decision information to various modules in its body, thereby changing into a shape suitable for climbing the stair.

How is such a magical operation achieved?

This starts with the special structure of the SMORES-EP modular robot - the "permanent array magnet".

This thing can form a strong connection with other modules metal objects, can be turned on off by sending current pulses to the coil. With the magnet turned on, the modules can remain connected with 89 Newtons of attraction, it only requires power when connecting disconnecting.

In other words, it can connect into a long "mechanical worm" by turning on the current pulse when it needs to go up the stairs, it can also turn off the current when passing through certain narrow passages, so that the scattered modules can be integrated into zero pass through in a line.

It can truly be said that "ever-changing, all in the invisible."

If this technology matures in the future, perhaps robots that can "transform" like those in "Transformers" will appear in every street alley. However, the modular robots at that time will be able to transform into more than just cars.

Ma Hongxu, an expert the "12th Five-Year Plan" Service Robot Expert Group of the Ministry of Science Technology: It can lower the entry threshold for our industrial robots  other special service robots expand their social applications.

The mine-sweeping robots blasting robots used on the battlefield, the flexible robotic arms used in the space station are all modular robots. Especially in teaching entertainment robots, the degree of modularization is already relatively high. For example, the "CellRobot" designed developed in Beijing Zhongguancun the chain robot "ChainFORM" of MIT are modular robots.

Ma Hongxu, an expert the "12th Five-Year Plan" Service Robot Expert Group of the Ministry of Science Technology: Modular robots solve many problems in terms of structure, electrical appliances, drive connection. They can even connect whole machines together, which is a basic requirement for the future development of robots.