Design and Experiments of a Compact Self-Assembling Mobile Modular Robot with Joint Actuation and Onboard Visual-Based Perception

Modular robots have the advantage of self-assembling into a large and complex structure to travel through territories beyond an individual robot’s capacity. A swarm mobile is combined mechanical interconnection joint actuation achieve linked or articular configuration. In this paper, enhance perception, docking capacity modular robots, parallel mechanism-based system onboard visual perception are proposed in design novel compact robot (SMMRob). Each module self-contained, with sensing function. The modules can dock each other based on relative positioning, which employs passive markers active infrared signals different localizations. Performance experiments were conducted evaluate module. Docking performed, along analysis success failure results. self-assembly snake-like quadruped was achieved response environments, including obstacle, gap stair, performed structure.