Modlab The Modular Robotics Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania

Welcome to the Modular Robotics Lab (ModLab), a subgroup of the GRASP Lab and the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department at the University of Pennsylvania.

A modular robot is a versatile system consisting of many simple modules that can change their configuration to suit a given task. These systems are inherently robust due to their redundancy, adaptability, and ability to self-repair. While originally focused on continuing research in the field of modular robotics, recent work at the lab has expanded to include micro/nano air vehicles and tunable stiffness for legged robot locomotion. The ModLab is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from multiple disciplines including mechanical, electrical, and computer systems engineering.


Hybrid Exploration Robot for Air and Land Deployment (H.E.R.A.L.D)

A team of five mechanical engineering seniors, in collaboration with the Modular Robotics Laboratory and under the guidance of Dr. Mark Yim, have designed a search and rescue research platform intended to address limitations of current search and rescue robots and introduce a novel form factor and integration technique into the field. The system of [...]

May 05, 2013. Categories: Flying Devices, Search and Rescue

Tactically Expandable Maritime Platform (T.E.M.P.)

We have built a system of shipping container sized robotic boats that can hook onto each other.  We demonstrate the conceptual design of a system that is capable of constructing bridges and various shaped islands that can be made compliant to waves.

Feb 13, 2013. Categories: DARPA, TEMP

X-Face

Docking and undocking are common activities for robots (modular robots in particular). The relative frequency of this operation behooves us to ensure reliable alignment under uncertain conditions. We present a new face geometry that is numerically superior to existing alignment geometries. This geometry is intended for two-dimensional reconfigurable robots.

Nov 12, 2012. Categories: CKbot, Connector Design, Programmable Matter

ModLock

Connection mechanisms are critical to modular reconfigurable systems. The ModLock manual connection system is both fast to attach/detach and strong. This low cost, low profile connection system has been demonstrated on a variety of robot configurations including legged walkers, flying quadrotors and wheeled robots.

Oct 30, 2012. Categories: CKbot, Flying Devices, Quick Change, Willow Garage

SMORES

The design of this system called SMORES (Self-assembling MOdular Robot for Extreme Shapeshifting) is capable of rearranging its modules in all three classes of reconfiguration; lattice style, chain style and mobile reconfiguration. Modules are independently mobile and are capable of self-assembly from a collection of disconnected modules.

Oct 19, 2012. Categories: SAE, SMORES

Structure synthesis on-the-fly

Hard foam can be used to synthesise a body on-the-fly, allowing us to spray a body for this quadruped. Each of the limbs comprises three CKBot modules, in a configuration similar to that used in the self-assembly after explosion project.

Oct 17, 2011. Categories: CKbot

RATChET

Modules in the Right Angle Tetrahedron Chain Externally Actuated Testbed (RATChET) system can be programmed to form arbitrary shapes. Using an external manipulator to fold the chain under the force of gravity simplifies the module design since they do not require a motor at each joint.

Dec 16, 2009. Categories: Programmable Matter

Factory Floor

The factory floor is an experimental robotic system for the construction of passive robotically-reconfigurable truss structures. The macroscopic goal of this work is to embed autonomous reconfigurability into human-built systems.

Sep 24, 2009. Categories: EFRI

CKbot

The CKbot (Connector Kinetic roBot) is a chain style modular robot. It is designed to be fast and inexpensive while small enough to fit inside a 3 inch tube. It is manually reconfigurable into any shape while also allowing attachments such as wheels, grippers, IR proximity sensors and camera modules.

Sep 24, 2009. Categories: CKbot

Self re-Assembly after Explosion

A car bumper is designed to crumple upon impact and protect the driver. A ski boot will detach from the ski to prevent injury to the ankle. Likewise a CKbot assembly falls apart when it is kicked, however CKbot can put itself back together again.

Sep 23, 2009. Categories: CKbot, SAE

Dynamic Locomotion of CKBot

CKBot is designed to be fast allowing it to achieve dynamic locomotion. Given that CKBot is reconfigurable gives us the unique ability to research different types of dynamic locomotions in different morphologies all with the same hardware.

Sep 22, 2009. Categories: CKbot, Dynamic