Communications of the ACM
Robots Transform Into Furniture at Epfl
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne have created wirelessly connected robotic modules that can change their shape to create reconfigurable furniture.
Credit: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne's Biorobotics Laboratory (BIOROB) have developed Roombots, small robotic modules that can change their shape to create reconfigurable furniture.
Roombot pieces, which are connected wirelessly, can be stacked upon each other to create various structures. Each module is equipped with a battery and three motors that enable the module to pivot with three degrees of freedom. In addition, the modules have retractable claws they use to attach to other pieces and form larger structures.
"In order to keep costs down and ensure solidity, we have prioritized the construction of hybrid furniture, in other words, objects made up of both robotic modules and solid 'passive' elements," says BIOROB director Auke Ijspeert.
The small robots also can climb walls using a special surface with holes adapted to the mechanical claws.
The Roombots project currently includes four functional modules with an autonomy of one hour. The researchers currently are testing different user interfaces for the system.
From Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
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