Mobile miniature self-reconfigurable robot based on embedded vision

To enhance the capabilities of mobile miniature robots, a novel mobile self-reconfigurable robot is presented. This robot consists of several independent units. Each unit is composed of modular components including ultrasonic sensors, cameras, communication, computation and mobility parts, and can be simply reconfigurated to enhance its mobility by expanding itself. Several units can be linked into a united whole robot with the help of a camera or other sensors autonomously and can also be reconfigurated into snate or ring structures to realize the obstacle climbing. After missions, these units are disjointed to be separated robots. To achieve a small overall size, compact mechanical structures are adopted in modular component designing. An embedded image processing module based on a CMOS digital camera is designed for the self-reconfiguration, and a miniature ARM & FPGA-based embedded controller is developed for the minimal power consumption and efficient global control. Fully functional units have been tested, and the docking experiment between the two units has also been implemented. The docking course cost 15 s with the separate angel of 30°, which satisfies the requirement of the self-reconfiguration.