Designing robotic systems that can change their physical form factor as well as their compliance to adapt to environmental constraints remains a major conceptual and technical challenge. To address this, we introduce the Granulobot, a modular system that blurs the distinction between soft, modular, and swarm robotics. The system consists of gear-like units that each contain a single actuator such that units can self-assemble into larger, granular aggregates using magnetic coupling. These aggregates can reconfigure dynamically and also split into subsystems that might later recombine. Aggregates can self-organize into collective states with solid- and liquid-like properties, thus displaying widely differing compliance. These states can be perturbed locally via actuators or externally via mechanical feedback from the environment to produce adaptive shape-shifting in a decentralized manner. This, in turn, can generate locomotion strategies adapted to different conditions. Aggregates can move over obstacles without using external sensors or coordinates to maintain a steady gait over different surfaces without electronic communication among units. The modular design highlights a physical, morphological form of control that advances the development of resilient robotic systems with the ability to morph and adapt to different functions and conditions.

中文翻译：

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使用固体和液体集体状态的自组织机器人聚合体

设计能够改变其物理外形及其合规性以适应环境限制的机器人系统仍然是一个重大的概念和技术挑战。为了解决这个问题，我们引入了 Granulobot，这是一种模块化系统，模糊了软机器人、模块化机器人和群体机器人之间的区别。该系统由类似齿轮的单元组成，每个单元都包含一个执行器，这样单元就可以使用磁力耦合自组装成更大的粒状聚集体。这些聚合可以动态地重新配置，也可以分成稍后可能重新组合的子系统。聚集体可以自组织成具有类似固体和液体特性的集体状态，从而表现出截然不同的顺应性。这些状态可以通过执行器进行本地扰动，或者通过来自环境的机械反馈进行外部扰动，以分散的方式产生自适应形状变化。反过来，这可以生成适应不同条件的运动策略。聚合体可以在不使用外部传感器或坐标的情况下越过障碍物，以在不同表面上保持稳定的步态，而无需单元之间的电子通信。模块化设计突出了一种物理形态的控制形式，促进了弹性机器人系统的开发，该系统具有变形和适应不同功能和条件的能力。