Using Smart Cameras to Localize Self-Assembling Modular Robots

In order to realize the goal of self assembling or self reconfiguring modular robots the constituent modules in the system need to be able to gauge their position and orientation with respect to each other. This paper describes an approach to solving this localization problem by equipping each of the modules in the ensemble with a smart camera system. The paper describes one implementation of this scheme on a modular robotic system and discusses the results of a self assembly experiment.