How would you like a custom robot, a robot that fits your specific needs? Well, look no further than a modular robot. Modular robots can be easily modified through the addition or removal of components. Does your robot need an extra arm? Pop an extra arm on there. Does it need a set of motion sensors? Tack on those sensors. Modular robots can can be used for many different tasks or applications. This saves you from having to create a new robot for different tasks.
There are lots of specialized robots out there. Robots that can climb trees, robots that can crawl into small spaces, robots that can scale a steps. Now, each of these robots are very good at what they were designed to do, but they can’t really crossover to perform other tasks. If you have your tree climbing robot try and make it up a flight of stairs, you’re going to be disappointed with the results.
However, a modular robot could perform all of those tasks. Swap out a claw here, or an arm there, and your modular robot can climb, crawl, and scale as needed. It might not be as good as the specialized robots at each function, but it can get all of the jobs done.
The Snake Monster robot is a prime example of a modular robot. Snake Monster was designed by roboticists at Carnegie Mellon University. You might have heard of snake robots. They are designed to mimic the movements of a snake and can cover a wide range of terrain. From disaster areas to broken drain pipes, snake robots can wiggle and squirm their way around just about anything. These robots can be added or removed to Snake Monster depending on the need for the robot.
The most remarkable thing about Snake Monster is how quickly it was built. It’s not uncommon for robots to see years of development before they are completed, and some may never see completion. Snake Monster was built in six months and it only took a week to program it. In addition to versatility, the speed at which modular robots can be built gives them a big leg up on traditional robots.
Modular design isn’t new as a concept; Indramat uses it, after all, and plenty of Indramat units are still going strong after decades of hard work. Need support with your Indramat or Indradrive units? We can help. Call (479) 422-0390.