在瑞士洛桑聯(lián)邦理工學(xué)院(EPFL)仿生機(jī)器人實(shí)驗(yàn)室(BIOROB)所開發(fā)的一項(xiàng)“瘋狂”研究計(jì)劃中，研究人員們?yōu)橐豢蠲麨椤癛oombot”的機(jī)器人原型結(jié)合了2個圓球以及3個自由度，使其可根據(jù)用戶選擇自組裝成各種不同的家具。 Roombot 原本的用途是作為確認(rèn)模塊化機(jī)器人利用可伸縮夾實(shí)現(xiàn)不同任務(wù)的測試平臺。 “Roombot 是有點(diǎn)瘋狂的計(jì)劃──我們一向喜歡用模塊化機(jī)器人的概念。這次我們利用小型機(jī)器人模塊組裝出可隨時間改變形狀與功能、甚至打造出可移動的自動家具，”EPFL BIOROB總監(jiān)Auke Ijspeert表示，“例如，它可組裝出在環(huán)境中自在移動的凳，而當(dāng)碰到其他凳子后即可共組成長板凳。接著，幾張長板凳還可能變成桌子等等?！?

EPFL BIOROB總監(jiān)Auke Ijspeert展示活動的Roombots原型，能與其他Roombots相互拼裝成可變形家具。
Source：EPFLRtResmc

最終，Ijspeert希望打造出一系列的 Roombot 以及其他被動組件，例如桌面以及房間隔板，讓 Roombot 可重新組裝成一間臥室或一間會議室等。每一個Roombot中都配置了電池、馬達(dá)以及無線連接，使其可傳達(dá)指令，以便重新組裝成新的配置。 “所以整個想法是讓家具可因應(yīng)人的需求而完全改變功能，”Ijspeert說。 每個 Roombot 都由4個約22cm的半圓球面組成，中央配置三款馬達(dá)。任一個Roombot都能以4個半球面連結(jié)到其他Roombot，每個球面配備可伸縮夾。這些夾具 可連接到被動組件，如桌面、墻壁或地板或甚至松開。EPFL并計(jì)劃開發(fā)一系列主動與被動組件來打造出范圍更廣泛的變形家具種類。

可伸縮夾讓Roombot自行組裝成為不同形狀的家具部份。
Source：EPFLRtResmc

本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁：讓人們可用機(jī)器人來創(chuàng)造自己想用的器具

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{pagination} “我們希望 Roombot 適合廣泛的應(yīng)用，但我們認(rèn)為其中最重要的一項(xiàng)應(yīng)用是輔助技術(shù)。因而夠有助于老年人或沒辦法輕松或自在移動的人。這意味著如果它是一張桌子的話，它就可以直接移動至病人面前，為他帶來藥物或一杯水，” Ijspeert說，“在全球范圍內(nèi)，我們希望能提供一種像樂高積木一樣的方式，讓人們可用它來創(chuàng)造自己想用的器具──這就是我的夢想?！? EPFL的科學(xué)家們正打造可自由移動且自動變形的未來家具 （來源：EPFL） 在BIOROB實(shí)驗(yàn)室的學(xué)生們已經(jīng)提出了許多新的用途，例如在建筑物外追蹤陽光的花盆、移動式照明以及音響系統(tǒng)等。目前要為其進(jìn)行編程并不容易，但該實(shí)驗(yàn)室正致力于基于平面計(jì)算機(jī)的系統(tǒng)，讓用戶只需設(shè)計(jì)與布局房間，一系列的Roombot就能自動組織起來實(shí)現(xiàn)這項(xiàng)設(shè)計(jì)。 部分的研究經(jīng)費(fèi)是由瑞士國家科學(xué)基金會(SNF)國家機(jī)器人能力研究中心贊助提供。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Susan Hong 參考英文原文：Roombots Self-Assemble into Furniture，by R. Colin Johnson

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{pagination} Roombots Self-Assemble into Furniture R. Colin Johnson PORTLAND, Ore. -- In what the lead researcher calls a "crazy" project conjoins dual round robots with three degrees-of-freedom--called Roombots -- which self-assemble into the type of furniture of your choice. Conceived at the Biorobotics Laboratory (BIOROB) at école polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL -- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), Roombots serve as a testbed for modular robots that use retractable grippers to join together for different tasks. "The Roombots project is a bit of a crazy project where we like to use the concept of modular robotics -- little robotic modules -- that we use to make adaptive furniture that changes its shape and functionality over time and can even move," said Auke Ijspeert, head of the Biorobotics Laboratory (BIOROB) at EPFL in a video (below)." For instance, it could make stools that can move around in the environment, where it meets another stool and makes a bench. And the bench might later become a table." EPFL head of its Biorobotics Laboratory, Auke Ijspeert, shows the mobile Roombot, which fits together with other pieces to make adaptive furniture. (Source: EPFL) Eventually Ijspeert hopes to create a whole family of Roombots and other passive components, such as table tops and room dividers, that enable Roombots to reassemble into anything from a bedroom to a conference room. Inside each Roombot are batteries, motors and a wireless connection so they may communicate directives to reassemble into new configurations. "So the whole idea is to have furniture that changes functionality completely for the needs of the person," said Ijspeert. Every Roombot consists of four half spheres about 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) long permanently conjoined at the center with three motors inside. Any Roombot can link to any other Roombot at any of four locations, each equipped with grippers on the flattened sides of each sphere. Grippers can attach to passive components -- like a table top, walls or floors -- or retract to let go. EPFL plans a whole family of active and passive components to create a whole range of adaptive furniture types. Retractable grippers allow Roombots to self-assemble into different shaped furniture pieces. (Source: EPFL) "We hope that Roombots will be used for a whole range of applications, but one of the main ones we have in mind is assistive technologies. So for an elderly person or one who cannot move easily it helps the person. That means if it's a table it can approach the person to bring medicine or a glass of water," said Ijspeert. "Globally what we hope to provide is a kind of Lego block that people can use to invent their own use -- that would be my dream -- that people like maybe artists or designers find their own uses and applications." école polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL--Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) scientists are creating futuristic furniture that can move around and autonomously change its shape. This innovation may prove useful to support disabled individuals. (Source: EPF) Students in the BIOROB lab have already come up with many novel uses, such as flowerpots that follow the sun around the outside of a building, mobile lighting and sound systems that follow their users. Today programming them is difficult, but the lab is working on a tablet-based system where you merely design the layout of the room and an army of Roombots self-organize to realize the design. Partial funding was provided by the National Centre for Competence in Research Robotics at the the Swiss National Science Foundation (Lausanne Switzerland).