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Abstract-In this paper we present the development of a new self-reconfigurable robotic platform for performing on-line and on-board evolutionary experiments. The designed platform can work as an autonomous swarm robot and can undergo collective morphogenesis to actuate in different morphogenetic structures. The platform includes a dedicated power management, rich sensor mechanisms for on-board fitness measurement as well as very powerful distributed computational system to run learning and evolutionary algorithms. The whole development is performed within several large European projects and is open-hardware and open-software.

Within this paper, CoBoLD -short for Cone Bolt Locking Device -a bonding mechanism for modular self-reconfigurable autonomous mobile robots is presented. The docking unit is used to physically connect modular robots and/or toolboxes in order to form complex structures and robotic organisms. CoBoLD is specially designed to combine essential features like genderlessness, symmetry, high stiffness, integrated force sensors and electrical contacts, while still using a simple and low cost, easy to manufacture setup. Next to a detailed description of CoBoLDs assembly, first trails and their results are shown in this paper. CoBoLD is used at several different robotic platforms and toolboxes within the EU founded projects SYMBRION and REPLICATOR.

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In this paper, we introduce a new locomotion unit for mobile modular self-reconfigurable robots. The design is based on Archimedes screws and allows a robot to utilize its full potential. With this newly designed drive unit called screw drive, a robot is able to drive in almost every direction while still using a simple, easy to control setup which requires very little space. Next to a general design description, we introduce the locomotion model for the screw drive used in simulation as well as in locomotion control of the robot. Additionally, we show several experiments to confirm the versatility of the screw drive.