Self-assembling Mobile Linkages with Passive and Active Modules

We explore the concept of self-assembling robot systems consisting of simple passive structural modules plus active robotic modules. In particular, we consider a space of 2and 3-DOF robots with rotating grippers which attach to passive structural bars. The resulting systems range from a passive truss with one independent active climbing module to fully self-reconfiguring dynamic structures comprised of active modules and passive struts. We describe hardware experiments with two robotic modules interacting with fixed and free bars, and algorithms for self-assembly and mobility in larger-scale simulated systems.