Method of Autonomous Approach, Docking and Detaching Between Cells for Dynamically Recontigurable Robotic System CEBOT

Abstract

The concept of the new dynamically reconfigurable robotic system (DRRS) are its realization as the cell-structured distributed robotic system CEBOT are discussed in this paper. CEBOT can reconfigurate itself to optimal structure depending on purpose and environment. These robotic systems are very advantageous for space robotics, since the available resources are limited in space. This robotic system is possible owing to the use of separable self-controlled units called "cells" ; thus the robotic system is called a cell-structured robot #(CEBOT). CEBOT has unique features such as a dynamically reconfigurable structure, on-line task adaptability, fault tolerance, etc. With simple elementary cells clustered into large structures or modules, complicated tasks can be executed (this concept is found in biological organisms). We propose this concept, control and sensor system structure, and automatic approach control. The efticiency of CEBOT is shown by the results of automatic approaching, connecting and separating experiments.