Granulobot: From granular matter to self-assembling and reconfigurable robotics

We introduce Granulobot, a soft robotic platform that uses the rich properties of granular matter to propose new resilient capabilities. It consists of many identical motorized units that embed a Wifi microcontroller and sensors. Each robot is a few centimeters in diameter and uses passive magnets to engage and disengage with others. By applying torques, individual robots can move in space, self-assemble, and reconfigure collectively. Such minimal principle encompasses a scalable, decentralized robotic system, that can change its morphology and its mechanical behavior in real-time. In a vertical configuration, the granular organization provides structural strength against gravity, and changing the locally applied torques can transform the behavior from rigid to plastic and compliant. The control of such complex system, with many degrees of freedom, challenges common strategies used in robotics. Through examples, we explore control approaches based on physical properties and decentralized feedback. With Granulobot, we expend upon the complexity of many bodies systems to develop a form of “morphological” computation. This allows the design of resilient and autonomous systems, with promising perspectives in extreme conditions applications (space exploration and maintenance, catastrophe management, etc.).