Steps Toward Self-reconfigurable Robot Systems by Modelling Cellular Adhesion Mechanisms

This paper presents a distributed control method for a collection of homogeneous robotic modules. We propose that by modelling simple cellular adhesion mechanisms, collections of these modules can self-assemble into virtually bonded aggregates which behave as predicted by Steinberg’s ‘differential adhesion hypothesis’. This allows simple self-repairing hierarchical structures to be formed, the exact properties of which can be controlled by varying the adhesive properties of the individual modules. Finally we present the results of some initial simulations which demonstrate that this model responds positively to small amounts of turbulence.