Abstract
The goal of the Conro Project is to build deployable modular robots that can reconfigure into different shapes such as snakes or hexapods. Each Conro module is, itself, a robot and hence a Conro robot is actually a multirobot system. In this paper we present an overview of the Conro modules, the design approach, an overview of the mechanical and electrical systems and a discussion on size versus power requirement of the module. Each module is self-contained; it has its own processor, power supply, communication system, sensors and actuators. The modules, although self-contained, were designed to work in groups, as part of a large modular robot. We conclude the paper by describing some of the robots that we have built using the Conro modules and describing the miniature custom-made Conro camera as an example of the type of sensors that can be carried as payload by these robots.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 403-409 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2002 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Autonomous
- Modular
- Reconfigurable
- Self-sufficient
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Control and Systems Engineering
- Computer Science Applications
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering