Abstract
This paper presents a mathematical model of a mobile modular robot that spontaneously switches locomotion patterns, inspired by plasmodium of true slime mold. Significant features of this robot are threefold: (1) each module of the robot has a truly soft and deformable body, stemming from elastic elements, filled with fluid, (2) these several identical modules are physically connected with fluid-filled tubes, which induces long-distance interaction between the modules; and (3) by exploiting the physical interaction between the body parts, a fully decentralized control using phase oscillators with completely local sensory feedback mechanism is realized. The preliminary simulation results show that altering softness of the body part according to the amount of attractant allows the robot to change locomotion direction spontaneously in a fully decentralized manner. The results obtained are expected to shed new light on the design scheme for life like robots that exhibit versatile, agile and adaptive behavior.
