Prismatic Cubes

From Code Lab Wiki

current (third generation) prismatic cube module prototype with electrostatic latch

six third generation cube modules arranged in a lattice.

The prismatic cubes are modular robots we are building in cooperation with the Claytronics Group and Intel Research Pittsburgh to realize self-reconfiguring 3D lattices. While we have only built a handful so far, ensembles of hundreds or thousands of prismatic cube modules could autonomously reconfigure their form under computational control. Self-reconfiguring materials like this could be used to build interactive furniture and buildings.

[edit] Researchers

Michael Philetus Weller

Brian Kirby

H Ben Brown

Mustafa Emre Karagozler

Mark D Gross

Seth Copen Goldstein

[edit] Papers

2009

M P Weller, M D Gross and S C Goldstein (2009): Hyperform Specification: Designing and Interacting with Self-reconfiguring Materials, in Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Special Issue on Material Computing, Springer. (to appear)

(includes material previously presented in) M P Weller, M D Gross and S C Goldstein (2009): Hyperform Specification: Designing with Self-reconfiguring Materials. In Workshop on Programmable Reality at Human Factors in Computing (CHI 2009). pp 1-4. pdf

M P Weller, B T Kirby, H B Brown, M D Gross and S C Goldstein (2009): Design of Prismatic Cube Modules for Convex Corner Traversal in 3D, in Proceedings of Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2009), IEEE. (to appear). pdf

(includes material previously presented in) M P Weller, M E Karagozler, B Kirby, J D Campbell and S C Goldstein (2007): Movement Primitives for an Orthogonal Prismatic Closed-Lattice-Constrained Self-Reconfiguring Module, Workshop on Self-Reconfiguring Modular Robotics at the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2007). 1-6. pdf

2007

M E Karagozler, J D Campbell, G K Fedder, S C Goldstein, M P Weller and B W Yoon (2007): Electrostatic Latching for Inter-module Adhesion, Power Transfer, and Communication in Modular Robots, Proceedings of the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2007), IEEE. pdf

[edit] Press

"Shape-shifting robot forms from magnetic swarm" - New Scientist online, January 29, 2008

[edit] Videos

Six third generation prismatic cubes performing round movement primitive to traverse convex corner. (4X speed)

Two third generation prismatic cubes orthogonal traversal of test jig. (4X speed)

Two second generation prismatic cubes locomoting across a 5-face wide test jig. (4X speed)