Distributed robotic manipulation: Experiments in minimalism

Abstract

Minimalism pursues the following agenda: For a given robotics task, find the minimal configuration of resources required to solve the task. Thus, minimalism attempts to reduce the resource signature for a task, in the same way that (say) Stealth technology decreases the radar signature of an aircraft. Minimalism is interesting because doing task A without resource B proves that B is somehow inessential to the information structure of the task. We will present experimental demonstrations and show how they relate to our theoretical proofs of minimalist systems.

In robotics, minimalism has become increasingly influential. Marc Raibert showed that walking and running machines could be built without static stability. Erdmann and Mason showed how to do dextrous manipulation without sensing. Tad McGeer built a biped, kneed walker without sensors, computers, or actuators. Rod Brooks has developed online algorithms that rely less extensively on planning and world-models. Canny and Goldberg have demonstrated robot systems of minimal complexity. We have taken a minimalist approach to distributed manipulation. First, we describe how we built distributed systems in which a team of mobots cooperate in manipulation tasks without explicit communication. Second, we are now building arrays of micromanipulators to perform sensorless micromanipulation. We describe how well our experimental designs worked, and how our manipulation experiments mirrored the theory.