Design and Calibration of a Lightweight Physics-Based Model for Fluid-Mediated Self-Assembly of Robotic Modules

In this paper, we consider a system consisting of multiple floating robotic modules performing self-assembly. Faithfully modeling such a system and its inter-module interactions typically involves capturing the hydrodynamic forces acting on the modules using computationally expensive fluid dynamic modeling tools. This poses restrictions on the usability of the resulting models. Here, we present a new approach towards modeling such systems. First, we show how the hardware and firmware of the robotic modules can be faithfully modeled in a high-fidelity robotic simulator. Second, we develop a physics plugin to recreate the hydrodynamic forces acting on the modules and propose a trajectory-based method for calibrating the plugin model parameters. Our calibration method employs a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, and consists of minimizing the difference between Mean Squared Displacement (MSD) data extracted from real and simulated trajectories of multiple robotic modules

NASA SBIR abstracts of 1990 phase 1 projects

The research objectives of the 280 projects placed under contract in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 1990 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 program are described. The basic document consists of edited, non-proprietary abstracts of the winning proposals submitted by small businesses in response to NASA's 1990 SBIR Phase 1 Program Solicitation. The abstracts are presented under the 15 technical topics within which Phase 1 proposals were solicited. Each project was assigned a sequential identifying number from 001 to 280, in order of its appearance in the body of the report. The document also includes Appendixes to provide additional information about the SBIR program and permit cross-reference in the 1990 Phase 1 projects by company name, location by state, principal investigator, NASA field center responsible for management of each project, and NASA contract number

Wings in Orbit: Scientific and Engineering Legacies of the Space Shuttle, 1971-2010

The Space Shuttle is an engineering marvel perhaps only exceeded by the station itself. The shuttle was based on the technology of the 1960s and early 1970s. It had to overcome significant challenges to make it reusable. Perhaps the greatest challenges were the main engines and the Thermal Protection System. The program has seen terrible tragedy in its 3 decades of operation, yet it has also seen marvelous success. One of the most notable successes is the Hubble Space Telescope, a program that would have been a failure without the shuttle's capability to rendezvous, capture, repair, as well as upgrade. Now Hubble is a shining example of success admired by people around the world. As the program comes to a close, it is important to capture the legacy of the shuttle for future generations. That is what "Wings In Orbit" does for space fans, students, engineers, and scientists. This book, written by the men and women who made the program possible, will serve as an excellent reference for building future space vehicles. We are proud to have played a small part in making it happen. Our journey to document the scientific and engineering accomplishments of this magnificent winged vehicle began with an audacious proposal: to capture the passion of those who devoted their energies to its success while answering the question "What are the most significant accomplishments?" of the longestoperating human spaceflight program in our nation s history. This is intended to be an honest, accurate, and easily understandable account of the research and innovation accomplished during the era

Fabricate 2014

FABRICATE is an international peer reviewed conference that takes place every three years with a supporting publication on the theme of Digital Fabrication. Discussing the progressive integration of digital design with manufacturing processes, and its impact on design and making in the 21st century, FABRICATE brings together pioneers in design and making within architecture, construction, engineering, manufacturing, materials technology and computation. Discussion on key themes includes: how digital fabrication technologies are enabling new creative and construction opportunities from component to building scales, the difficult gap that exists between digital modelling and its realisation, material performance and manipulation, off-site and on-site construction, interdisciplinary education, economic and sustainable contexts. FABRICATE features cutting-edge built work from both academia and practice, making it a unique event that attracts delegates from all over the worl

The Propulsion of Reconfigurable Modular Robots in Fluidic Environments

Reconfigurable modular robots promise to transform the way robotic systems are designed and operated. Fluidic or microgravity environments, which can be difficult or dangerous for humans to work in, are ideal domains for the use of modular systems. This thesis proposes that combining effective propulsion, large reconfiguration space and high scalability will increase the utility of modular robots. A novel concept for the propulsion of reconfigurable modular robots is developed. Termed Modular Fluidic Propulsion (MFP), this concept describes a system that propels by routing fluid though itself. This allows MFP robots to self-propel quickly and effectively in any configuration, while featuring a cubic lattice structure. A decentralized occlusion-based motion controller for the system is developed. The simplicity of the controller, which requires neither run-time memory nor computation via logic units, combined with the simple binary sensors and actuators of the robot, gives the system a high level of scalabilty. It is proven formally that 2-D MFP robots are able to complete a directed locomotion task under certain assumptions. Simulations in 3-D show that robots composed of 125 modules in a variety of configurations can complete the task. A hardware prototype that floats on the surface of water is developed. Experiments show that robots composed of four modules can complete the task in any configuration. This thesis also investigates the evo-bots, a self-reconfigurable modular system that floats in 2-D on an air table. The evo-bot system uses a stop-start propulsion mechanism to choose between moving randomly or not moving at all. This is demonstrated experimentally for the first time. In addition, the ability of the modules to detect, harvest and share energy, as well as self-assemble into simple structures, is demonstrated

Modular fluidic propulsion robots

We propose a novel concept for modular robots, termed modular fluidic propulsion (MFP), which promises to combine effective propulsion, a large reconfiguration space, and a scalable design. MFP robots are modular fluid networks. To propel, they route fluid through themselves. In this article, both hydraulic and pneumatic implementations are considered. The robots move towards a goal by way of a decentralized controller that runs independently on each module face, uses two bits of sensory information and requires neither run-time memory, nor communication. We prove that 2-D MFP robots reach the goal when of orthogonally convex shape, or reach a morphology-dependent distance from it when of arbitrary shape. We present a 2-D hydraulic MFP prototype and show, experimentally, that it succeeds in reaching the goal in at least 90% of trials, and that 71% less energy is expended when modules can communicate. Moreover, in simulations with 3-D hydraulic MFP robots, the decentralized controller performs almost as well as a state-of-the-art and centralized controller. Given the simplicity of the hardware requirements, the MFP concept could pave the way for modular robots to be used at sub-centimeter-scale, where effective modular propulsion systems have not been demonstrated

NASA SBIR abstracts of 1991 phase 1 projects

The objectives of 301 projects placed under contract by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are described. These projects were selected competitively from among proposals submitted to NASA in response to the 1991 SBIR Program Solicitation. The basic document consists of edited, non-proprietary abstracts of the winning proposals submitted by small businesses. The abstracts are presented under the 15 technical topics within which Phase 1 proposals were solicited. Each project was assigned a sequential identifying number from 001 to 301, in order of its appearance in the body of the report. Appendixes to provide additional information about the SBIR program and permit cross-reference of the 1991 Phase 1 projects by company name, location by state, principal investigator, NASA Field Center responsible for management of each project, and NASA contract number are included

Fabricate 2020

Fabricate 2020 is the fourth title in the FABRICATE series on the theme of digital fabrication and published in conjunction with a triennial conference (London, April 2020). The book features cutting-edge built projects and work-in-progress from both academia and practice. It brings together pioneers in design and making from across the fields of architecture, construction, engineering, manufacturing, materials technology and computation. Fabricate 2020 includes 32 illustrated articles punctuated by four conversations between world-leading experts from design to engineering, discussing themes such as drawing-to-production, behavioural composites, robotic assembly, and digital craft

Fabricate

Bringing together pioneers in design and making within architecture, construction, engineering, manufacturing, materials technology and computation, Fabricate is a triennial international conference, now in its third year (ICD, University of Stuttgart, April 2017). Each year it produces a supporting publication, to date the only one of its kind specialising in Digital Fabrication. The 2017 edition features 32 illustrated articles on built projects and works in progress from academia and practice, including contributions from leading practices such as Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Arup, and Ron Arad, and from world-renowned institutions including ICD Stuttgart, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton University, The Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL) and the Architectural Association

Opinions and Outlooks on Morphological Computation

Morphological Computation is based on the observation that biological systems seem to carry out relevant computations with their morphology (physical body) in order to successfully interact with their environments. This can be observed in a whole range of systems and at many different scales. It has been studied in animals – e.g., while running, the functionality of coping with impact and slight unevenness in the ground is "delivered" by the shape of the legs and the damped elasticity of the muscle-tendon system – and plants, but it has also been observed at the cellular and even at the molecular level – as seen, for example, in spontaneous self-assembly. The concept of morphological computation has served as an inspirational resource to build bio-inspired robots, design novel approaches for support systems in health care, implement computation with natural systems, but also in art and architecture. As a consequence, the field is highly interdisciplinary, which is also nicely reflected in the wide range of authors that are featured in this e-book. We have contributions from robotics, mechanical engineering, health, architecture, biology, philosophy, and others