Modular Robotics





Reconfigurable robots made of small modules which may have common or distinct functionality based on the application. These modules can link to each other, locomote individually or in clusters, move relative to each other, and communicate to each other to form a variety of robots in a single or multiple tasks.


What we are trying to achieve here is basically three basic features in our modbot:


  • Locomotion : 3 face discs and actuators(3 stepper motors)
  • Linkage : same face discs and actuators(6 electromagnetic solenoid pistons)
  • Movement (DOF) : same face discs and actuators (same 3 stepper motors & 3 servo motors) For this we would need the modules to sense their relative position of each other for which we are using (MPU9255) other than that we need module to be controlled logically for which there would be a microcontroller(TEENSY 3.6) and for transfer of data among the modules we would need a wireless communication device(XBEE).


The whole module system is split into three types of modules


  1. M-module(mechanical)
  2. E-module(electronic)
  3. S-module(special).


A single M-module, mechanical and electrical designs are completed and tested. The designs can be looked up at our github repository: https://github.com/usarawgi911/ModBots . The designs we have come up with are hard to achieve in real life using ordinary techniques, the whole body of our modules are completely printed using the 3-D printer provided to us in Sand box, we have also used the DC voltage supplies over there to select an optimistic battery for a single module, we have been using the PCB milling machine to make our PCB’s, tools in the workshop and even other inventory are used in the process.


The sandbox committee has helped us by giving us the necessary equipment and taught us how to use them, they also helped us by funding us to get the necessary sensors and actuators.


It would be nice if we had equipment which can help us measure the torque of our actuators and if the equipment in the inventory include more Xbee modules, Teensy boards, better IMU sensors more precision PCB etching machines.