This article presents a design for interlocking blocks and an algorithm that allows these blocks to be assembled into desired shapes. During and after assembly, the structure is kinematically interlocked if a small number of blocks are immobilized relative to other blocks. There are two types of blocks: cubes and double-height posts, each with a particular set of male and female joints. Layouts for shapes involving thousands of blocks have been planned automatically, and shapes with several hundred blocks have been built by hand. This article also describes a method for assembling structures from blocks in parallel. As a proof of concept, a dual-robot system was used to assemble 48 blocks, forming an interlocking cube-like structure. Note to Practitioners —This article was inspired by existing work on interlocking joinery structures, modular robots, and construction robots. We present designs for two interlocking blocks that can be assembled into larger rigid structures. Blocks of this type are a promising future construction material. Only translation is needed to assemble the blocks, simplifying robotic assembly, and the mortarless construction allows for later disassembly and reuse of the blocks. We propose an algorithm that lays out blocks into desired shapes in series and developed a dual-robot system to assemble 48 blocks automatically. Our physical experiments show that joint manufacturing precision is critical to the ease of construction and the rigidity of the finished structure. We also present a layout algorithm that enables parallel assembly, allowing multiple robots to work on the same structure.

中文翻译：

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与机器人联锁块组装

本文介绍了一种互锁块的设计和一种允许将这些块组装成所需形状的算法。在组装期间和之后，如果少量块相对于其他块被固定，则结构在运动学上互锁。有两种类型的块：立方体和双高柱，每个都有一组特定的男性和女性关节。涉及数千个块的形状的布局已自动规划，并且具有数百个块的形状已由手工构建。本文还描述了一种从块并行组装结构的方法。作为概念验证，使用双机器人系统组装 48 个块，形成一个互锁的立方体状结构。从业者须知 —这篇文章的灵感来自于现有的有关联锁细木工结构、模块化机器人和建筑机器人的工作。我们提出了两个互锁块的设计，可以组装成更大的刚性结构。这种类型的砌块是一种很有前途的未来建筑材料。组装块只需要平移，简化了机器人组装，无灰浆结构允许以后拆卸和重新使用块。我们提出了一种将积木串联成所需形状的算法，并开发了一个双机器人系统来自动组装 48 个积木。我们的物理实验表明，接头制造精度对于施工的难易程度和成品结构的刚度至关重要。我们还提出了一种允许并行组装的布局算法，