Self-reconfiguring modular robot
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A self-reconfiguring modular robot (SRCMR) is a robotic system composed of multiple identical or similar independently functional units that can autonomously connect, disconnect, and rearrange themselves to change the robot's overall shape, structure, and locomotion strategy. Each module typically contains its own actuators, processors, sensors, and connection mechanisms, allowing the collective system to transform between configurations such as snake-like chains, legged walkers, or rolling assemblies without external assistance. In robotics and AI, SRCMRs are used for tasks demanding adaptability — navigating unstructured terrain, search and rescue operations, space exploration, and fault-tolerant systems where damaged modules can be bypassed or replaced. Control approaches range from centralized motion planning to biologically inspired distributed algorithms, where modules communicate locally to achieve coordinated global behavior. SRCMRs matter because they offer versatility and robustness that fixed-morphology robots cannot match. A single system can reconfigure to meet diverse operational demands, reducing the need for task-specific hardware. They also serve as platforms for studying distributed intelligence, self-assembly, and even self-reproduction, making them significant both for practical deployment and for advancing fundamental questions in autonomous systems research.
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Mark Yim, D.G. Duff, Kimon Roufas
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M-TRAN: self-reconfigurable modular robotic system
Shingo Murata, Eiichi Yoshida, Akiya Kamimura, H. Kurokawa, Kohji Tomita, S. Kokaji
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Victor Zykov, Efstathios Mytilinaios, Bryant Adams, Hod Lipson
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Hormone-inspired adaptive communication and distributed control for CONRO self-reconfigurable robots
Wei Shen, Behnam Salemi, Peter Will
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SUPERBOT: A Deployable, Multi-Functional, and Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robotic System
Behnam Salemi, Mark Moll, Wei‐Min Shen
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Multiple Mobile Robot Systems
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Distributed Self-Reconfiguration of M-TRAN III Modular Robotic System
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Modular Reconfigurable Robots in Space Applications
Mark Yim, Kimon Roufas, David G. Duff, Ying Zhang, Craig Eldershaw, Sam Homans
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M-blocks: Momentum-driven, magnetic modular robots
John W. Romanishin, Kyle Gilpin, Daniela Rus
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Useful metrics for modular robot motion planning
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Pareto Optimal Reconfiguration Planning and Distributed Parallel Motion Control of Mobile Modular Robots
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The Conro modules for reconfigurable robots
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Automatic Locomotion Design and Experiments for a Modular Robotic System
Akiya Kamimura, H. Kurokawa, Eiichi Yoshida, Shingo Murata, Kohji Tomita, S. Kokaji
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Telecubes: mechanical design of a module for self-reconfigurable robotics
J.W. Suh, Sam Homans, Mark Yim
Citations: 212 • 2003
Connecting and disconnecting for chain self-reconfiguration with PolyBot
Mark Yim, Ying Zhang, Kimon Roufas, D.G. Duff, Craig Eldershaw
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Virtual Robot Experimentation Platform V-REP: A Versatile 3D Robot Simulator
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Modular robots
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Citations: 209 • 2002
CONRO: Towards Deployable Robots with Inter-Robots Metamorphic Capabilities
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Citations: 207 • 2000