A group of scientists in Switzerland is processing small robotic modules, called “roombots,” which fit together like LEGO bricks to form structures that can self-group and morphology into different shapes. The idea of drifting furniture may be somewhat displeasing, but the researchers imagine them being used to provide assistance to elderly or disabled people.
“The idea of different units that self-assemble and change morphology has been around for rather a while, but non entity came up with a good idea for how to use them” said Massimo Vespignani, an engineer at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, andco-author of a study to be published in the July issue of the journal Robotics and Autonomous Systems.
Like a scene right out of The Jetsons a fleet of robotic blocks could put together themselves into pieces of furniture that can move around the house. Vespignani and his colleagues without doubt to apply the idea to robotic furniture. For example, the robotic modules could turn themselves into a stool that proceeds behind elderly people around in case they needed to sit down quickly.
Each roombot is a wholly independent unit a 9-inch-long (22 centimeters) block that corresponds to a pair of dice joined together. It contains a battery and three small motors that allow it to move in three different dimensions. The roombot also has a set of disavow claws so it can hook onto other bots to create bigger structures, or attach onto connectors in its environment.
The blocks can run in one of two modes: The roombot can move along a grid of tracks on the floor or wall and connect to other blocks, or the blocks can disparity from the grid and move freely around a room.
The researchers conceive the blocks to be able to collude not only with each other, but also with existing furniture. In order to attach the blocks to floors, walls or relating to furniture, the researchers developed a special surface that attach to these objects, with holes for the roombots’ claws. For disabled or elderly people, roombots could bring chairs and tables closer, or move them out of the way, the researchers said.
The team is now experimenting with distinct ways to control the furniture, using tablet computers, or speech or movement recognition. In the case of an elderly person, the robots might have more autonomy, Vespignani said. But don’t worry, “I don’t visualize a scenario where the robots are completely autonomous,” he said.
The robots are still just a prototype they might be present within about 20 years, the researchers evaluating. Right now, the prototypes are limited because the bots lack enough torque to hold the weight of a person. Furthermore, the batteries in each module only last for one hour, but the researchers don’t previse that as a long-term problem. Future roombots might be able to share power between modules, recharging while they’re connected to a grid on the ground or wall.
The group is also prgramming a newer generation of roombots for aided living environments, which could really interact with people. But the question remains, would people particularly the elderly want to live in a house where their furniture moved around and recode it? “Many people might think it’s kind of a looney idea,” Vespignani said. But once people see working prototypes, they might warm up to it, he said. “Personally, I would like to have something like this.”