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Journal of the Franklin Institute 349 (2012) 22812293 www.elsevier.com/locate/jfranklin

Design and implementation of HexBot: A modular self-recongurable robotic system

Hossein Sadjadi, Omid Mohareri, Mohammad Amin Al-Jarrah, Khaled Assaleh
American University of Sharjah, Department of Mechatronics, P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, UAE Received 15 June 2010; received in revised form 18 March 2011; accepted 28 May 2011 Available online 1 July 2011

Abstract This paper proposes the design and implementation of a planar hexagonal modular selfrecongurable robotic system (MSRRS). A universal module is carefully designed to reect the primary required criteria such as homogeneity, cost-effectiveness, fast actuation, and quick strong connections. While our working prototype is both large and restricted to a planar motion, it is designed so that the hardware and software can be scaled up in the number of units and down in unit size and it can be extended to accommodate 3D applications. One of the novel approaches in our design is that it is based on a multilayer approach where each layer is dedicated to perform a specic task; in other words, the design itself is considered to be modular. This multilayer approach in both the hardware and the software enables each layer to be modied and enhanced while keeping the remaining layers untouched, providing openness, exibility, and ease of modication. The software infrastructure of this system is designed to allow the implementation of different hierarchies for distributed control and communication. & 2011 The Franklin Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction A conventional robot with a xed architecture is usually designed for limited tasks and can work in a particular environment, such as [13]. Therefore, a given unit of this kind will no longer perform well if its tasks or its environment are changed. On the contrary, MSRRSs gained popularity due to their adaptability, as their functionalities were no
Corresponding author.

E-mail address: hsadjadi@aus.edu (H. Sadjadi). 0016-0032/$32.00 & 2011 The Franklin Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jfranklin.2011.05.022

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longer restricted to a specic task or a certain environment. As explained in [4], many successful conventional robots are designed by mimicking the dynamical function of living creatures; however, MSRRSs are designed by mimicking the structural formation of living creatures, where every organ is composed of its fundamental components, such as cells. Although each fundamental component is quite simple in its shape, intelligence, etc., a huge combination of them can form a powerful and complex system. MSRRSs implement the same concept by being composed of several simple robotic modules, where each module has the ability to move around its neighboring modules and change its location using its primitive actuators, sensors, processors, and communication units. Therefore, the complete system would be capable of autonomously transforming into other shapes by changing the position and orientation of any of its modules. Key features of MSRRSs, such as versatility, robustness, self-reproduction, scalability, and cost-effectiveness [514] enable them to perform in a wide range of applications. For example, MSRRSs can form different locomotion gaits to move in unstructured, uncertain or dynamically changing environments and carry out search and rescue missions. They can also be used for sea or space exploration, surveillance, or operations in hazardous or remote environments. There is also an interest in using MSRRSs to form growing structures, such as 3D simulated physical parts or emergency [15]. MSRRS platforms are generally classied based on their architectural topologies including mobile, lattice, chain, and hybrid. Modules in mobile architectures are designed to be able to move independently from each other [7]. In lattice architecture, modules are more similar to biological cells and can ll discrete positions in a grid structure. In general, this conguration performs very well for reconguration but not for locomotion [16]. On the other hand, modules in chain architecture are connected to each other in a serial manner, forming tree (open) or loop (closed) structures, which enable them better motion generation performance for locomotion at a cost of lower reconguration ability [17]. Finally, hybrid architectures combine both lattice and chain congurations to take advantage of their reective benets while eliminating their reective drawbacks [18]. Therefore, hybrid systems are capable of performing remarkable motion generation required for locomotion, and are also capable to recongure into different congurations [4,19]. The HexBot platform described in this work has a lattice homogeneous structure, as shown in Fig. 1. Similar works in this category include the following: ATRON [19], Crystalline [20], Metamorphic [21], Molecule [22], and Telecube [23]. Furthermore, the HexBot platform is able to rearrange its shape using a reconguration path planner and a control algorithm, which were developed to determine the required sequence of individual module movements that transforms the shape of the system from an arbitrary initial conguration to a desired goal conguration [24]. The core of this algorithm relies on a heuristic function and a Markov Decision Process (MDP) optimization [25,26] to perform the reconguration in an optimal manner while enforcing several constraints and taking into account the kinematic model of the system. 2. Physical platform design The primary challenge in designing a universal module in this category of robots is scalability. System scalability in this case is dened as the ability to decrease module size and increase module quantity. Eventually, the size of each module should be scaled down to a level such that a complete system composed of these modules can form structures with

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Fig. 1. HexBot a lattice homogeneous MSRRS.

reasonable resolutions. Further, the quantity of the modules shall be scaled up to ll the required structure. The above requirements would therefore enforce the following major design criteria: (i) fast module actuation to enable the movement of a large number of units within a reasonable amount of time, (ii) quick and strong inter-module connection, (iii) costeffective design to facilitate mass production, (iv) low power consumption, which is ideally zero when only the overall shape of the structure is maintained, (v) an appropriate shape to form arbitrary structures with minimum gaps, and (vi) homogeneity to facilitate faster reconguration algorithms by providing module interchangeability. The above design criteria eliminate the idea of having a conventional robot as an individual module to move around its neighbors. Ultimately, each module should look like a charged particle that shifts position quickly using electromagnetic forces. This is the main concept behind the design of the HexBot. 2.1. Mechanical design The detailed mechanical design is done in accordance with the above requirements, and this exact system has been developed for 2-dimensional reconguration. Drawing inspiration from natural structures, such as bee hives, crystal molecules, etc., it was decided to have hexagonal modules. Since hexagons join to densely ll the space, hexagonal modules were designed as the principal building blocks for the complete MSRRS. Furthermore, the system units are designed to be homogeneous, allowing module interchangeability, which provides for faster reconguration. The designed module is shown in shown in Fig. 2. As can also be observed in Fig. 3, the edges of the implemented HexBot module were further enhanced to facilitate mechanical self-alignment. Effective use of MSRRSs requires a possibly large number of modules; therefore, quick motion of any individual module is crucial. The main limiting factor for fast module movement is related to the choice of actuators and inter-module connection mechanisms. Most designs suffer from extremely slow actuation or a connection mechanism, which is either weak or time-consuming.

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Fig. 2. Implemented multilayer hexagonal planar universal module.

Fig. 3. Mechanical self-alignment (green edges) (for interpretation of the references to color in this gure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article).

In HexBot, electromagnets (E-05-125 by Magnetic Sensor Systems) are chosen to provide the required actuation for the modules. This choice provides quick actuation at a relatively cost-effective manner. In addition, to provide a strong quick inter-module connection, pull type solenoids (S-69-3 by Magnetic Sensor Systems) are used. Therefore, each edge of the module is equipped with a solenoid (active actuated male connector) in addition to a passive female connector as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. As a result, in this system no actuation force is required to maintain the overall conguration of the modules, which ensures minimum power consumption during positional stasis. Each module is also

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Fig. 4. Ball transfer units, inter-module connectors and motion actuators.

equipped with three ball transfer units (passive elements) providing a smooth omnidirectional motion with low friction. Each HexBot module is a hexagon with sides of 78 mm and its height is 108 mm. In this prototype, the total weight of the module is 946 g, where electromagnets, solenoids and ball transfer units contribute to 65% of this number. Although at this stage the design is quite large and uses off-the-shelf components, this platform allows for testing of the algorithm and the proposed motion mechanism. The dimension and weight of this prototype will be reduced in the next version, using surface-mounted components for the printed circuit boards and smaller actuators. 2.1.1. Motion through rotation The relocation of a module is provided by its rotation around neighboring modules. One module by itself is not able to perform any motion as the motion is the product of combining the magnetic forces of two modules. In order to perform any rotation, there will be an initial repulsion between two adjacent sides of the modules followed by an attraction between the other two sides, as shown in Fig. 5. Precise delays and actuation timing in the electromagnets and solenoids ensures a consistent and complete rotation. The embedded microcontroller of HexBot computes and species actuation timing and sends the corresponding control signals. Table 1 species the steps required for a mobile module to rotate around its substrate. To ensure minimum power consumption for the system, all actuators (sides and joints) require power only during rotation, and remain switched off while the system is not changing its conguration. The delay times (t1, t2, and t3) are set such that the required actuations take place precisely. These times are sent manually to the modules and were calculated based on the dynamic model of the system. In this platform one complete rotation takes 220 ms with an angular speed of 9.52 rad/s. This speed is considered to be relatively fast when compared to other designs and is mainly due to the choice of electromagnets used for actuation and the connection between the modules.

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Fig. 5. Rotation of a mobile module around a substrate through inter-module actuation forces.

Table 1 Rotation steps.

Steps Rotation CW (around joint i 4) Mobile Substrate Other neighbors All Jx close All Sx off Jn open Jn close

Rotation CCW (around joint i 5) Mobile Substrate Other neighbors All Jx close All Sx off Jn open Jn close

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

All Jx close All Sx off All Jx except Ji open Delay t1 80 ms Si1, Si ve Delay t2 45 ms Ji open Delay t3 90 ms All Jx close All Sx off

All Jx close All Sx off Ji3, Ji2 open Delay t1 80 ms Si3 ve, Si2 ve Delay t2 40 ms All Jx close Delay t3 95 ms All Sx off

All Jx close All Sx off All Jx open Delay t1 80 ms Si1, Si ve Delay t2 40 ms Ji close Delay t3 95 ms All Jx close All Sx off

All Jx close All Sx off Delay t1 80 ms Si2 ve, Si1 ve Delay t2 45 ms Ji1, Ji2 open Delay t3 90 ms All Jx close All Sx off

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2.1.2. Motion constraints For the higher level reconguration among the modules, the path planner shall enforce several constraints and assumptions. The rst constraint is connectivity to prevent global disconnection among modules and the second constraint is collision avoidance to ensure that movement of a module will not result in a collision with other modules in the system. These constraints are illustrated in Fig. 6 and where taken into account as detailed in [24]. 2.2. Electrical system The electrical system design is based on a multilayer modular approach, and consists of ve layers, as illustrated in Fig. 2. This approach is considered extremely open and exible, since each layer is dedicated to a specic task and can be modied independently. At the same time, when there is a failure in the system, only the faulty layer needs to be replaced. The rst layer primarily acts as a mechanical structural support for the modules components and forms the outer module shape. It also provides the module with the main power supply from a power base. The power base is composed of strips of aluminum connected alternatively to positive and negative voltages as shown in Fig. 7. The width and spacing of the power strips are designed to ensure that for any arbitrary location and orientation, at least one of the six spring-loaded pins of a module is in contact with the negative supply and another is in contact with the positive supply. Furthermore, modules can freely move on the base using their ball transfer units and get the required power from the base. Providing power from the base also helps the modules to be lighter, as they are not carrying a separate battery. Furthermore, the base is used to mark the coordinate system and pose of modules, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The remaining four layers (25) are shown in Fig. 8. A schematic diagram is provided in Fig. 9 that details the relationship between the layers of each module, along with the communication functionalities.

Fig. 6. Rotation of C around O will cause collision with B. Any rotation for D will cause a disconnection in the system. A can rotate in any direction.

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Fig. 7. Power base.

Fig. 8. Electrical system components.

Receiving the base power from the rst layer, the second layer regulates it into the different voltages required for the system. A proper power circuit design plays an important role in the electrical system, since all electromagnets are inductive loads and therefore generate huge noise during transitions. If the noise is not ltered properly it can damage other components of the system, and may also cause the complete system to fail by causing the microcontrollers to restart during transitions. Upon receiving a control signal from the fourth layer, the third layer drives the required actuator or solenoid. Switching electromagnets that requires a high current is performed through a pair of relays, each with two parallel Form C contacts, to provide both positive and negative polarities. The control signals coming from layer four are amplied using a

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transistor array and are used to activate the relay coils. Note that the drive circuit is designed to drive only the electromagnets and not the solenoids. The solenoids do not require high power, so they are switched directly from the microcontroller through a transistor array. The fourth layer is a feed forward open loop controller, which sends control signals to the actuators according to the required tasks. Atmel ATMEGA 162 is utilized to send these control signals to the drive circuit. Finally, the top layer is mainly allocated for both inter-module and centralized user-module communication. This layer is sized to be exactly as the same size as the power base grids, and is equipped with seven infrared transceivers; six of them are located on the sides of the hexagonal module and one is located in the center of the module for central communication. The signals are modulated (38 kHz) to eliminate the environment noise. One serial port of the ATMEGA 162 microcontroller on this board is connected to all seven infrared transceivers through a set of multiplexer and demultiplexer. The other serial port of the microcontroller is linked to the control board microcontroller to send the required control commands. 2.3. Processing and communication units The processing unit in the HexBot is primarily responsible for inter-module communication, centralized communication with the user, activating solenoids, actuating electromagnets, and indicating module status using several light emitting diodes. Two ATMEGA 162 microcontrollers form the main processing units for the control and communication within HexBot; one in the control board and the other in the communication board. Both microcontrollers can be easily reprogrammed using the InSystem Programming (ISP) feature of Atmel. As illustrated in Fig. 9, each module includes four main communication functionalities: 1. Infrared (IR) transceivers provide both inter-module and centralized communication, and are connected to the serial port of the communication microcontroller through a set of multiplexer and demultiplexer. 2. Serial communication between the two microcontrollers is used to provide for the transmission of data from the communication layer to the control layer. To ensure that this connection is available and active, once the module is switched on, both microcontrollers start the process of handshaking by transmitting specic packets to each other and responding accordingly. If the process is successful the user will nd a new module on the graphical user interface mentioning that both microcontrollers of the module are ready. 3. UART1 provides direct access to the control board for testing and debugging purposes. It can also be used to send control commands to the module without the use of the communication layer. 4. SPI1 and SPI2 are used to reprogram the microcontrollers through ISP, and can also be used for the wireless communication planned for inclusion in the next stage of development. One of the major usages of the inter-module communication is module localization. This process is necessary since when the system initially starts, no module knows its location and orientation. Therefore a localization routine is executed to provide modules with this information. The process starts with the module xed to the base, which is the only module

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Fig. 9. Electrical system schematics and communication functionalities of HexBot.

2 3 (0,0) 6 4 5 1

Fig. 10. Localization process.

in the conguration knowing its location and orientation as shown in Fig. 10. This module tries to localize its neighboring modules by sending them messages including their location and orientation. Once these neighboring modules receive the messages, they similarly try to repeat the same process until all of the modules in the conguration are localized.

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Fig. 11. Graphical user interface.

Optical switches and infrared transceivers are installed on each side of all modules, and are the main physical components used for the localization process. For example in Fig. 10, the localized module at location (0,0) would detect the existence of non-localized neighbors at sides 1, 3, and 6 using its optical switches; therefore, it multiplexes the IR serial communication between these sides informing them about their locations and orientations. 2.4. Graphical user interface A fully functional graphical user interface (GUI) was developed using Visual Basic (VB), as illustrated in Fig. 11. This user friendly interface is mainly used for the reconguration purpose by sending different messages to the modules and receiving their pose and status information. All modules interface with the computer through their IR transceivers, as illustrated in Fig. 12. In order to maintain centralized communication, modules rst switch to their center IR transceivers, and then start communicating to the central IR transceiver. The central IR transceiver also connects to the PC through an RS232 converter. This conguration provides a centralized communication between the reconguration planner running on the computer and the MSRRS. 3. Conclusion HexBot was successfully implemented and a reconguration algorithm for a planar hexagonal MSRRS [21] was tested on its platform. We have demonstrated the main

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Fig. 12. Designed central communication technique.

criteria behind the design of HexBot as our universal module, which required a solid understanding of the ultimate common goals in this promising eld. Specically, we focused on two dimensional, homogeneous systems, where we developed an extremely fast actuation, which competes well against other designs using other kinds of actuators. We designed the inter-module connections to be quick and powerful without requiring precise alignment. Electronic boards were designed in a multilayered manner, where each board has specic function and can be modied or replaced separately. Handshaking between the two microcontrollers of the modules and sending the status to the main processor (PC in this case) can be used as an indication of module failure, which helps to make the system more robust. The physical platform of HexBot is planned to be improved and to be expanded, including the creation of a 3D version of the platform in a smaller size. This platform will incorporate a battery in each module and will have a higher strength-to-weight ratio in the material for its mechanical parts. References
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