Stochastic Modular Robotic Systems: A Study of Fluidic Assembly Strategies (updated)

Transcript of Narration:

Modular robotic systems typically assemble using deterministic processes where modules are directly placed into their target positions. In previous work, we have demonstrated stochastic modular robots that take advantage of ambient environmental energy for the transportation and delivery of components to their where they are needed. By limiting module complexity, this approach offers potential scalability to large numbers of small modules.
We have developed a computationally-efficient simulation for modeling a modular robotic system that assembles in a stochastic fluid environment.
First we calibrate this simulation using both high fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations and physical experiments. We then use this simulator to develop assembly strategies that overcome the key challenges of stochastic assembly: Namely, the slow assembly rates and the inability to precisely predict component availability. The strategy seen here is a raster-scan approach that assembles layers one at a time to avoid leaving holes that cannot be filled. While it can result in perfect assemblies, this approach took the most time to assembly the target structure. Alternative strategies include weighting the modules to improve alignment, repelling modules occasionally to prevent clumping, and first assembling a perfect skeleton structure then filling in the remaining structure quickly. By simulating the assembly of various objects we are able to study the tradeoffs between structure completion (depicted as blue bars in this graph) and assembly time (the red bars) for various assembly strategies.

See ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=5462863 or www.michaeltolley.com/research.html for details

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Programmable
• Matter
• Stochastic
• Fluidic
• Assembly
• Simulation
• Strategies
• Michael
• Tolley
• Research
• Cornell
• Computational
• Synthesis
• Lab

[F1NGER]

I'm currently studying microbiology and this all looks very familiar.

[Aberwitz88]

¡Chapó!

[mattjpalmer]

The killer sci fi nanorobots are coming!