Sambot: A self-assembly modular robot for swarm robot

This paper presents a novel self-assembly modular robot (Sambot) that also shares characteristics with self-reconfigurable and self-assembly and swarm robots. Each Sambot can move autonomously and connect with the others. Multiple Sambot can be self-assembled to form a robotic structure, which can be reconfigured into different configurable robots and can locomote. A novel mechanical design is described to realize function of autonomous motion and docking. Introducing embedded mechatronics integrated technology, whole actuators, sensors, microprocessors, power and communication unit are embedded in the module. The Sambot is compact and flexible, the overall size is 80×80×102mm. The preliminary self-assembly and self-reconfiguration of Sambot is discussed, and several possible configurations consisting of multiple Sambot are designed in simulation environment. At last, the experiment of self-assembly and self-reconfiguration and locomotion of multiple Sambot has been implemented.