Hinged-Tetro: A self-reconfigurable module for nested reconfiguration

Abstract

Nested reconfiguration is an emerging research area in modular robotics. Such a novel design concept utilizes individual robots with distinctive reconfiguration characteristics (intra-reconfigurability) capable of combining with other homogeneous/heterogeneous robots (inter-reconfigurability). The objective of this approach is to generate more complex morphologies for performing specific tasks that are far from the capabilities of a single module or to respond to programmable assembly requirements. The two-level reconfiguration process in nested reconfigurable robotic system implies several technical challenges in hardware design, planning algorithms, and control strategies. In this paper, we discuss the theory, concept, and initial mechanical design of Hinged-Tetro, a self-reconfigurable module conceived for the study of nested reconfiguration. Hinged-Tetro is a mobile robot that uses the principle of hinged dissection of polyominoes to transform itself into any of the seven one-sided tetrominoes, the Tetris pieces, in a straightforward way. The robot can also combine with other modules for shaping complex structures or giving rise to a robot with new capabilities. Some preliminary experiments of intrareconfigurability with an implemented prototype are presented.

Current trends in reconfigurable modular robots design

“…Superbot (SPI), 14 Ubot, M-Blocks, and Hinged-Tetro (UART). 38 Molecube uses the 1-wire protocol. Ethernet communication, although not common, is used by CoSMO 31 due to its high data rate.…”

A novel approach to gait synchronization and transition for reconfigurable walking platforms

“…In particular, the synchronization and the gait transitions are realized by utilizing a trajectory generator based on fifth-polynomial interpolation. Our presented reconfigurable platform, a novel approach of reconfigurable robot contained within a nested reconfigurable concept [10], needs applications for the synchronization for walking as well as the gait transitions between the gait patterns. However, to design applications for each synchronization and each gait transition is meaningless due to infinite complexities.…”

Tackling Area Coverage Problems in a Reconfigurable Floor Cleaning Robot Based on Polyomino Tiling Theory

“…Pertinent efforts in this field have included the remodeling of an equilateral triangle into a polygon [34], combining several rigid duplicates of the same polyhedron [35], the creation of unique patterns through rearrangement of shapes from one to another [36], and 3D hinged dissection being used for the formation of 3D polyhedra. In robotics, the work presented in [21] studies the hinged dissection principle, with a view to creating a nested re-configurable robot module named 'hinged-tetro', and to demonstrating that Left Left Right (LLR) or Left Left Left (LLL) hinged dissection applies to the creation of all one-sided tetromino forms. The LLR hinged dissection method was utilized in the creation of the hTetro cleaning device [22], in order to achieve the transformational capability.…”