MIT CSAIL Robotic Cubes that Move Without External Parts
A team from MIT CSAIL presented an innovative concept in modular robotics: autonomous cubes that can move without the need for visible arms, wheels, or legs. Their movement arises from an ingenious internal mechanism, challenging conventional robotic designs. 🤖
The Secret to Movement is Inside
The key to these cubic modules lies within. Each cube houses a flywheel that spins at extremely high speeds. To generate movement, the system brakes this flywheel abruptly. This action transfers the stored angular momentum to the entire cube structure, propelling it to perform specific actions. In this way, a cube can jump in place, roll over one of its edges, or even climb onto the surface of a nearby cube.
Main Movement Capabilities:- Autonomous Jump: The abrupt braking of the flywheel projects the cube upward.
- Rolling on Edges: They control momentum transfer to rotate and change position.
- Climbing Other Modules: They use the momentum to climb and stack.
Perhaps the biggest challenge won't be teaching them to build, but getting them to decide not to dismantle your favorite furniture to turn it into something more efficient.
Connecting and Building Complex Structures
Individual autonomy is enhanced by module connections. The faces of each cube are equipped with permanent magnets that allow them to couple firmly together. By communicating in a coordinated manner, several cubes can work together to assemble useful configurations on demand. This ability to dynamically reconfigure is essential for adapting to diverse tasks in changing environments.
Structures They Can Assemble:- Simple furniture like a chair or a table.
- Functional elements like a temporary ladder.
- Basic structures like a small bridge to cross gaps.
Towards More Versatile and Robust Robotic Systems
This project explores a different paradigm in modular robotics. By eliminating complex external articulated arms and simplifying the design to the maximum, it seeks more robust and scalable systems. The future vision contemplates developing swarms of these cubes that can repair infrastructure in hard-to-reach places or adapt tools in space missions, where versatility and reliability are critical. This approach prioritizes mechanical simplicity to achieve greater adaptability and resilience. 🚀