A stochastic self-replicating robot capable of hierarchical assembly

作者：Kaloutsakis Georgios^*; Chirikjian Gregory S

来源：Robotica, 2011, 29: 137-152.

DOI：10.1017/S0263574710000780

• Swarm robotics
• Robotic self-replication
• Modular robots
• Mechatronic systems
• Manufacturing
• Mobile robots
• Multi-robot systems
• Robotic self-diagnosis
• Self-repair

This paper presents the development of a self-replicating mobile robot that functions by undergoing stochastic motions. The robot functions hierarchically. There are three stages in this hierarchy: (1) An initial pool of feed modules/parts together with one functional basic robot; (2) a collection of basic robots that are spontaneously formed out of these parts as a result of a chain reaction induced by stochastic motion of the initial seed robot at stage 1; (3) complex formations of joined basic robots from stage 2. In the first part of this paper we demonstrate basic stochastic self-replication in unstructured environments. A single functional robot moves around at random in a sea of stock modules and catalyzes the conversion of these modules into replicas. In the second part of the paper, the robots are upgraded with a layer that enables mechanical connections between robots. The replicas can then connect to each other and aggregate. Finally, self-reconfigurability is presented for two robotic aggregations.

• 出版日期2011-1