Image of Molecule self-reconfiguring robot module
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| Audience/Grade: | College Freshman-Professional Development |
| Discipline(s): |
Electrical Engineering General Engineering, Engineering Science Mechanical Engineering Mechatronics |
| Special Topic(s): |
Engineering Photo Competition |
| Learning Resource Type: |
Reference - Visuals |
| Media Type: |
Video |
| Author(s): |
Organization:Multimedia Gallery, National Science Foundation |
| Description: | From NSF's Multimedia Image Gallery. A system composed of multiple molecule robot modules can change its shape by moving modules from one location in the structure to a different location. This capability allows the system to adapt its shape to different tasks. The work is supported by National Science Foundation grants CNS 02-02789 and IIS 02-06306. (Date of Image: May 17, 2003) [One of six related images. See Next Image.] A self-reconfiguring robot consists of a set of identical modules that can dynamically and autonomously reconfigure in a variety of shapes to best fit the terrain, environment or task. Self-reconfiguration leads to versatile robots that can support multiple modalities of locomotion and manipulation. For example, a self-reconfiguring robot can aggregate as a snake to traverse a tunnel, then reconfigure as a six-legged robot to traverse rough terrain such as a lunar surface, then change shape again to climb stairs and enter a building. Researchers at MIT's Rus Robotics Laboratory have designed a small robotic module they call the Molecule that is capable of self-reconfiguration in a 3-D space. The Molecule is capable of independent movement on a substrate of identical Molecules, including straight-line traversal and 90 degree convex and concave transitions to adjacent surfaces. A Molecule robot consists of two atoms linked by a rigid connection called a bond. Each atom has five inter-Molecule connection points and two degrees of freedom. One degree of freedom allows the atom to rotate 180 degrees relative to its bond connection, and the other degree of freedom allows the atom (thus the entire Molecule) to rotate relative 180 degrees relative to one of the inter-Molecule connectors at a right angle to the bond connection. |
| Rating: |
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| Related Resources | |
| References: |
Molecular Robots in the Rus Robotics Laboratory at MIT |
| Usage Tip | |
| Use of Resource: |
Useful visual for showing research in robotics and molecular engineering. |
| Difficulty: |
Very easy |
| Interactivity Level: |
Very low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | August 2003 |
| Platform/Format: |
WWW |
| Cost: |
Free |
| Download URL: | http://nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.cfm?med_id=57231&from=img |
| Copyright and Use Restrictions: |
Images and other media in the National Science Foundation Multimedia Gallery are available for use in print and electronic material by NSF employees, members of the media, university staff, teachers and the general public. All media in the gallery are intended for personal, educational and nonprofit/non-commercial use only.
Images credited to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, are in the public domain. The images were created by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties or prepared by contractors as "works for hire" for NSF. You may freely use NSF-credited images and, at your discretion, credit NSF with a "Courtesy: National Science Foundation" notation. |
| Metadata: |
IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
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