Adaptive Modular Robot Locomotion

Writing by Evan Ackerman on Monday, 31 of December , 2007 at 8:01 am

This is MTRAN2, a modular robot who’s a few years old. I’m posting this because the video is neat, but also because I wanted to introduce you to MTRAN2 before you meet his younger sibling, MTRAN3. Old or not, MTRAN2 is a pretty clever little guy. Each one of his modules includes a battery pack, two motors, connectors, a tiny computer, a wireless receiver, and some sensors. The above video shows MTRAN2 in a walking configuration, encountering a slope that might make him unstable. MTRAN2 then reconfigures himself into a snake, which is a slower but far more stable way to move. The behavior is entirely autonomous, and MTRAN2 is able to reconfigure into a variety of different forms, including asymmetrical walkers and even a wheel. It’s a completely different take on flexible locomotion from, say, the RHex, and although it trades off speed and simplicity, there’s theoretically nothing the MTRAN2 couldn’t reconfigure itself to do.

[ MTRAN2 ]

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Category: Research,Transforming

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