1) The document discusses the challenges and future directions of self-reconfigurable robots like the ATRON robot. It explores concepts like local control rules, gradients, scaffolds, and meta-modules. 2) It describes the realities of self-reconfigurable robots as being fragile, useless, and expensive rather than robust, versatile, and cheap as originally envisioned. Challenges include weak strength, motion constraints, and high module complexity/cost. 3) The author argues that new innovative hardware designs are needed to address these challenges, such as deformable modular robots that have permanently connected modules that can only contract or expand. This may help with strength, fault tolerance and reconfiguration but limits full self

1. The ATRON Self-reconfigurable Robot challenges and future directions Kasper Støy AdapTronics Group The Maersk Institute for Production Technology University of Southern Denmark www.hydra-robot.dk

2. ATRON Terrestrial Self-Reconfiguration Henrik H. Lund, Esben H. Ostergaard Richard Beck, Lars Dalsgaard, Morten W. Jorgensen Associated: Kristian Kassow, Leonid Paramonov, Kasper Støy, David Christensen, David Brandt, Danny Kyrping Maersk Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

3. Self-reconfigurable robots

4. ATRON Concept Key insight: 3D self-reconfiguration can be achieved even-though each module only has one rotational degree of freedom

5. Mechanics : Prototype 0 Concept: Using arms for alignment and screw to connect Produced in 3D printer

6. Mechanics : Prototype 1A Connector Concept Two arms parallel to equator Test of connector Too weak

7. Mechanics : Prototype 1B Connector Concept Trippel Hooks Dual bars Test of connector Prototype broke

8. Mechanics : Final Prototype Improved main bearing Improved connector-mechanism

9. Electronics Two hemispheres Two sets of main processors Connector actuation Hemispheres connected by slipring One power management processor Sensors

10. Electronics : Power Supply Manages recharging Shares power Selects best power source Monitors the organism power supply Regulates power 600 batteries sponsored by Danionics

11. Current Mechanics

12. Final Module Design

13. IROS2004 - Demonstration videos Misalignment correction Double rotation Power sharing

14. Concept Demonstations David Christensen Meta module demo (ATRON Demo 1) Jakob Stampe Mikkelsen Walker

15. Explored control concepts Local control Local rules (Esben H. Østergaard) Gradients and scaffolds (Kasper Støy) Meta modules (David Christensen) Centralized control Planning (David Brandt)

16. Gradients and scaffold

17. Local Rules Esben Østergaard

18. Meta modules David Christensen

19. Conclusion Control achievements Control is difficult, but experience gained ATRON Achievements Innovative connector design Innovative lattice structure resulting in Simplified modules Easier control…

20. Intermezzo Queen of Denmark admires ATRON module together with the Japanese emperor

21. Kasper Støy AdapTronics Group The Maersk Institute for Production Technology University of Southern Denmark The Cruel Reality of Self-Reconfigurable Robots

22. Vision of self-reconfigurable robots Robust Versatile Cheap

23. The Reality of Self-Reconfigurable Robots Fragile Useless Expensive

24. Robust vs Fragile Robustness comes from redundancy If a module fails it can be ejected and other modules can take over Graceful degradation of performance USC’s ISI

25. Robust vs Fragile Difficult to detect if a module has failed Due to motion constraints it is difficult to eject the failed module Due to weakness of modules it may not be possible to eject the failed module at all

27. Versatile vs Useless A self-reconfigurable robot can change into any shape needed for the task

28. Versatile vs useless In practice motion constraints make it difficult to change shape

29. Versatile vs useless In practice motion constraints make it difficult to change shape

30. Versatile vs useless David Brandt Start Goal

31. Versatile vs useless Too weak to interact with the world The ATRON and the MTRAN robots can only lift in the order of a few modules

32. Cheap vs Expensive ATRON $2000 MTRAN $3500 ….

33. The Reality of Self-Reconfigurable Robots Fragile! Useless! Expensive!

34. Challenges of self-reconfigurable robots How do we Make robot strength greater than O(1)? Reduce motion constraints to facilitate easy self-reconfiguration? Reduce the consequences of module failure? Reduce module complexity (cost)? …while maintaining our successful results

35. Make robot strength greater than O(1)? Use module weight to gain leverage (seesaw) Crystalline/Telecube parallel chains … .

36. Reduce module complexity (cost)? ATRON is a step forward, but further - no idea… Reduce the consequences of module failure? No idea

37. Reduce motion constraints to facilitate easy self-reconfiguration? Metamodules Scaffold Telecube

38. Hypothesis The challenges cannot only be addressed at the level of control The challenges have to be addressed by new innovative hardware design

39. Challenges of self-reconfigurable robots How do we design the module to Make robot strength greater than O(1)? Reduce motion constraints to facilitate easy self-reconfiguration? Reduce the consequences of module failure? Reduce module complexity (cost)? …while maintaining our successful results

40. Deformable Modular Robots All modules are permanently connected in a lattice Modules can only contract or expand (limited but flexible crystalline module)

41. Concept Demonstration Physical implementation Deformatron Hexatron Simulation

42. Deformable Modular Robots Make robot strength greater than O(1)? Through parallelisms Reduce motion constraints to facilitate easy self-reconfiguration? Done Reduce the consequences of module failure? Done Reduce module complexity (cost)? No connectors … while maintaining our successful results Shape change within limits No self-replicating robot

43. Conclusion Self-reconfigurable robots are facing serious challenges Increase strength, reduce motion constraints, increase fault tolerance, reduce complexity (price) Radical new hardware designs needed Deformable modular robots may be able to sidestep the hardest problems, but at a cost