Design and dock analysis for the interactive module of a lattice-based self-reconfigurable robot

In this paper, a novel, lattice-based self-reconfigurable modular robot is presented. Each module is composed of a cubic part and six rotary sides. There are two holes and two extension pegs on each side. Rotary motion is generated by a motor with a reducer by using cone-shaped gears, clutches and so on. Its quick disconnect/connect mechanism is analyzed. A face-face incidence matrix (FFIM) is proposed to describe the relationship between modules in detail. The states of docking and constraint between modules are analyzed with the geometric method and the contact force of docking is described. Lastly, a self-reconfigurable robot consisting of five similar modules designed to pass the groove in simulation with the proposed motion rules and its FFIM is presented. The results verify that the above analysis is effective.