Robotics

Roombots can transform into reconfigurable furniture

Roombots can transform into reconfigurable furniture
Reconfigurable Roombot modules can attach to existing furniture, or rearrange themselves to create furniture of any shape (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Reconfigurable Roombot modules can attach to existing furniture, or rearrange themselves to create furniture of any shape (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
View 13 Images
A chair from 12 Roombots modules, and a typical office chair for size comparison (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A chair from 12 Roombots modules, and a typical office chair for size comparison (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A stool from Roombots modules (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A stool from Roombots modules (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A table from Roombots modules and L-shaped passive pieces (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A table from Roombots modules and L-shaped passive pieces (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A stool from 12 Roombots modules and passive pieces (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A stool from 12 Roombots modules and passive pieces (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A coffee table from Roombots modules and passive pieces (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A coffee table from Roombots modules and passive pieces (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A miniature-table from Roombots modules and 4 plates (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A miniature-table from Roombots modules and 4 plates (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Roombots modules coming out of a storage box (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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Roombots modules coming out of a storage box (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Rendered exploded view of a Roombots module (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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Rendered exploded view of a Roombots module (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Roombots attach to a table enabling it to move (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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Roombots attach to a table enabling it to move (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Rendered vision of a table being assembled by Roombots modules, using lightweight elements and integrated Roombots module (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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Rendered vision of a table being assembled by Roombots modules, using lightweight elements and integrated Roombots module (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Reconfigurable Roombot modules can attach to existing furniture, or rearrange themselves to create furniture of any shape (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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Reconfigurable Roombot modules can attach to existing furniture, or rearrange themselves to create furniture of any shape (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
The lower frontal connector is a fully equipped, active connection mechanism, the upper frontal slot is equipped with a passive connector plate (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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The lower frontal connector is a fully equipped, active connection mechanism, the upper frontal slot is equipped with a passive connector plate (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A snake-like structure made of Roombots modules (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
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A snake-like structure made of Roombots modules (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
View gallery - 13 images

Envision small robotic modules, lifting the lid of a storage box, spilling out, rearranging themselves to be the box's legs and transporting it to where you might be seated. That's exactly what Swiss researchers are aiming to create with Roombots, reconfigurable robotic modules that connect to each other to transform themselves into any type of furniture and change shape when needed (from a chair to a table, for example). Designed to help the disabled or elderly, by morphing to suit their needs, the adaptive robotic furniture modules can even be attached to existing furniture to give greater flexibility and the power to move.

Created by the Biorobotics Laboratory (BioRob) at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the self-assembling Roombots can band together to make static furniture like a box, a sofa or a wall. They attach to each other via connectors which enables them to take on the desired shape. The team's main goal is to create self-assembling interactive furniture that can be used in a variety of ways.

Rendered vision of a table being assembled by Roombots modules, using lightweight elements and integrated Roombots module (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
Rendered vision of a table being assembled by Roombots modules, using lightweight elements and integrated Roombots module (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)

For instance, a person lying down on a Roombot bed, could slowly be moved into a seated position, or a table could scoot over to a corner or tilt itself to help a book slide into a person's hands. The team has solved a number of significant milestones, such as the having the Roombots move freely, to bring all this multi-functionality closer.

"We start from a group of Roombot modules that might be stacked together for storage," Massimo Vespignani, a PhD student at BioRob, tells Gizmag. "The modules detach from this pile to form structures of two or more modules. At this point they can start moving around the room in what we call off-grid locomotion. We are currently trying to control larger structures, while trying to reduce as much as possible the energy consumption and impacts with the ground."

The Roombots can even climb up a wall or over a step, when the surface is outfitted with connector plates. They're are also capable of picking up connector plates and arranging them to form, say, a table's surface.

"A single module can autonomously reach any position on a plane (this being on the floor, walls, or ceiling), and overcome a concave edge," says Vespignani. "In order to go over convex edges two modules need to collaborate."

A miniature-table from Roombots modules and 4 plates (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A miniature-table from Roombots modules and 4 plates (Image: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)

Aside from helping the elderly, the Roombots could be used to create interactive art, programmable conference rooms, fun robotic kits or come in handy on search and rescue or space missions.

"The advantage would be that the modules can be tightly packed together for transportation and then can reconfigure into any type of structure (for example a robotic manipulator)," explains Vespignani.

The team is giving the Roombots the ability to attach themselves to passive elements and structures, too, allowing them to be manipulated more easily.

"We can 'augment' existing furniture by placing compatible connectors on it and attaching Roombots modules to allow it to move around the house," says Vespignani.

A snake-like structure made of Roombots modules (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)
A snake-like structure made of Roombots modules (Photo: Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL)

Currently engaged in improving the robustness and reliability of the Roombots modules, the team hopes to have them ready for industrial development in about 15 years time.

"Our ultimate goal is for sure to improve the quality of life," Vespignani tells us. "There are still a lot of research questions and technical challenges to solve. I would say they could be in the market in 20 years."

The team's paper on the research is due for publication in the Journal Robotics and Autonomous Systems

(July 2014)The video below demonstrates the reconfigurable abilities of the Roombots.

Source: BioRob EPFL

Robots transform into furniture at EPFL

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