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Organising Bodyformation of Modular Autonomous Robots Using Virtual Embryogenesis

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New Trends in Medical and Service Robots (MESROB 2016)

Part of the book series: Mechanisms and Machine Science ((Mechan. Machine Science,volume 48))

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Abstract

In this paper the ability of Virtual Embryogenesis system (VE) to initiate and facilitate the build process of a multi-robot organism is presented. According to a single genome, which is spread in the whole organism, substances (morphogenes) are diffused to all neighbouring robots within the organism and new modules are recruited to advance the building process. Different shapes can be built by this system using different, pre-evolved genomes. This ability to build a robotic modular organism is very stable and is not influenced by the environment the controlling genome has evolved in. The presented method is suggested to control modular robots in future applications in dynamic environments, e.g., in interaction with humans.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by: EU-ICT project REPLICATOR, no. 216240; EU H2020 FET-Proactive project ‘subCULTron’, no. 640967.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria

    M. Daushan, R. Thenius, K. Crailsheim & Th. Schmickl

Authors
  1. M. Daushan
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  2. R. Thenius
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  3. K. Crailsheim
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  4. Th. Schmickl
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Correspondence to R. Thenius .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Unit Geometry and CAD, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Manfred Husty

  2. Department of Robotics, Joanneum Research, Klagenfurt, Kärnten, Austria

    Michael Hofbaur

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Daushan, M., Thenius, R., Crailsheim, K., Schmickl, T. (2018). Organising Bodyformation of Modular Autonomous Robots Using Virtual Embryogenesis. In: Husty, M., Hofbaur, M. (eds) New Trends in Medical and Service Robots. MESROB 2016. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 48. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59972-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59972-4_6

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-59972-4

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