Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Simon Kang is pioneering a radical new vision for robotics—one where machines are no longer static, monolithic tools, but dynamic, self-sustaining systems capable of growth, repair, and even consumption. His research centers on the emerging fields of **robot metabolism** and **self-assembling modular robotics**, challenging the fundamental assumption that robots must remain closed, unchanging structures. In his landmark 2025 paper, "Robot metabolism: Toward machines that can grow by consuming other machines," Kang proposes a paradigm where robots can absorb material from their environment—including other machines—to heal damage, adapt to new tasks, and physically develop over time. This work, while nascent with 2 citations, lays the conceptual groundwork for a future of autonomous, resource-harvesting robots. Complementing this, his 2024 study "Robot Links: Towards Self-Assembling Truss Robots" explores how discretizing robots into identical, replaceable modules can enable recovery from catastrophic structural failure—a capability absent in today's rigid designs. Though early in his career, Kang's provocative ideas are already reshaping conversations around sustainability, resilience, and autonomy in robotics, positioning him as a bold thinker unafraid to reimagine what machines can become.