Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Department of Electronic Engineering, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
Sci Robot. 2017 Sep 27;2(10). doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.aao4369.
Changing the inherent physical capabilities of robots by metamorphosis has been a long-standing goal of engineers. However, this task is challenging because of physical constraints in the robot body, each component of which has a defined functionality. To date, self-reconfiguring robots have limitations in their on-site extensibility because of the large scale of today's unit modules and the complex administration of their coordination, which relies heavily on on-board electronic components. We present an approach to extending and changing the capabilities of a robot by enabling metamorphosis using self-folding origami "exoskeletons." We show how a cubical magnet "robot" can be remotely moved using a controllable magnetic field and hierarchically develop different morphologies by interfacing with different origami exoskeletons. Activated by heat, each exoskeleton is self-folded from a rectangular sheet, extending the capabilities of the initial robot, such as enabling the manipulation of objects or locomotion on the ground, water, or air. Activated by water, the exoskeletons can be removed and are interchangeable. Thus, the system represents an end-to-end (re)cycle. We also present several robot and exoskeleton designs, devices, and experiments with robot metamorphosis using exoskeletons.
通过变形来改变机器人固有的物理性能一直是工程师们的长期目标。然而,由于机器人本体的物理限制,每个组件都具有定义的功能,因此这项任务具有挑战性。迄今为止,由于当今单元模块的规模较大,以及对其协调的复杂管理严重依赖于板载电子元件,因此自重构机器人在现场的可扩展性方面存在局限性。我们提出了一种使用自折叠折纸“外骨骼”来实现机器人变形和扩展功能的方法。我们展示了如何使用可控磁场远程移动一个立方体形的磁“机器人”,并通过与不同的折纸外骨骼接口来分层开发不同的形态。每个外骨骼都可以通过加热从矩形薄片自折叠,从而扩展初始机器人的功能,例如能够操纵物体或在地面、水或空气中移动。通过水激活,外骨骼可以被移除并且是可互换的。因此,该系统代表了一个端到端(再)循环。我们还展示了几个机器人和外骨骼设计、使用外骨骼进行机器人变形的设备和实验。
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