Abstract:

Building Bodies and Brains

We wish to create programmable matter by using smart modules capable of self-reconfiguration: hundreds of small modules autonomously organize and reorganize as geometric structures to best fit the terrain on which the robot has to move, the shape of the object the robot has to manipulate, or the sensing needs for the given task. Large collections of small robot modules actively organize as the most optimal geometric structure to perform useful coordinated work. A self-reconfiguring robot consists of a set of modules that can dynamically and autonomously reconfigure in a variety of shapes, to best fit the terrain, environment, and task. Self-reconfiguration leads to versatile robots that can support multiple modalities of locomotion, manipulation, and perception. This talk will discuss the challenges of creating programmable matter, ranging from designing hardware capable of self-reconfiguration, to developing distributed controllers and planners for such systems that are scalable, adaptive, and support real-time behavior. We will discuss a spectrum of mechanical and computational capabilities for such system and detail two recent robots developed for ground and underwater applications of programmable matter.

Back to Distinguished Lecture Series - Fall 2006 / Spring 2007 Schedule