Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self-assembly and Self-reproduction by an M-TRAN Modular Robotic System

  • Conference paper
Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems

Part of the book series: Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics ((STAR,volume 104))

Abstract

A feasibility study was made for self-assembly and self-reproduction using anM-TRAN modular robotic system. Presuming that many stand-alone modules are scattered on a flat plane, various models of self-organizing systems have been examined; (1) randomly driven self-assembly, (2) self-assembly accelerated by worker, seed, and mold robots, and (3) self-reproduction based on a universal constructor. Basic functions for the universal constructor were tested by experimentation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Freitas Jr., R., Merkle, R.: Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines. Landes Bioscience (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Griffice, S., Goldwater, D., Jacobson, J.M.: Self-replication from random parts. Nature 636, 437–7059 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Gros, R., Bonani, M., Mondada, F., Dorigo, M.: Autonomous Self-Assembly in Swarm-Bots. IEEE Trans. Robotics 22(6), 1115–1130 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gross, R., Dorigo, M.: Self-assembly at the macroscopic scale. Proc. IEEE 96(9), 1490–1508 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hosokawa, K., Shimoyama, I., Miura, H.: Two-dimensional micro-self-assembly using the surface tension of water. Sensors and Actuators 57, 117–125 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kaloutsakis, G., Chirikjian, G.S.: A stochastic self-replicating robot capable of hierarchical assembly. Robotica 29, 137–152 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kamimura, A., Kurokawa, H., Yoshida, E., Murata, S., Tomita, K., Kokaji, S.: Automatic locomotion design and experiments for a modular robotic system. IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron 10(3), 314–325 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Klavins, E., Ghrist, R., Lipsky, D.: Graph Grammars for Self Assembling Robotic Systems. In: ICRA 2004, pp. 5293–5300 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kurokawa, H., Tomita, K., Kamimura, A., Kokaji, S., Hasuo, T., Murata, S.: Distributed Self-reconfiguration of M-TRAN III Modular Robotic System. Intl J. Robotics Res. 27(3-4), 373–386 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lee, K., Chirikjian, G.S.: Robotic Self-Replication. IEEE Robotics Automat. Mag., 34–43 (December 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Lipson, H., Pollack, J.B.: Self-reproducing Machines. Nature 435, 163–164 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Murata, S., Kakomura, K.: Self-Reconfigurable Robot: Shape-Changing Cellular Robots Can Exceed Conventional Robot Flexibility. IEEE Robotics Automat. Mag., 71–78 (March 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Murata, S., Kakomura, K., Kurokawa, H.: Toward a Scalable Modular Robotic System. IEEE Robotics Automat. Mag., 56–63 (December 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Murata, S., Yoshida, E., Kamimura, A., Kurokawa, H., Tomita, K., Kokaji, S.: M-TRAN: Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robotic System. IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron 7(4), 431–441 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. M-TRAN (Modular Transformer), http://unit.aist.go.jp/is/frrg/dsysd/mtran3/

  16. Penrose, L.S.: Self-reproducing Machines. Sci. Amer. 200, 105–114 (1959)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Rubenstein, M., Krivokon, M., Shen, W.M.: Robotic Enzyme-Based Autonomous Self-Replication. In: Proc. IROS, pp. 2661–2666 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  18. von Neumann, J.: Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata. Univ. Illinois Press (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Yim, M., et al.: Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robot Systems: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future. IEEE Robotics Automat. Mag., 43–52 (March 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Yim, M., Shirmohammadi, B., Sastra, J., Park, M., Dugan, M., Taylor, C.J.: Towards Robotic Self-reassembly After Explosion. In: IROS 2007, pp. 2767–2772 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Zykov, V., Desnoyer, M., Lipson, H.: Evolved and Designed Self-Reproducing Modular Robotics. IEEE Trans. Robotics 23(2), 308–319 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8568, Japan

    Haruhisa Kurokawa, Akiya Kamimura & Kohji Tomita

Authors
  1. Haruhisa Kurokawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Akiya Kamimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kohji Tomita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haruhisa Kurokawa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

    M. Ani Hsieh

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Gregory Chirikjian

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Kurokawa, H., Kamimura, A., Tomita, K. (2014). Self-assembly and Self-reproduction by an M-TRAN Modular Robotic System. In: Ani Hsieh, M., Chirikjian, G. (eds) Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems. Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, vol 104. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55146-8_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55146-8_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-55145-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-55146-8

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation