A self-repairing structure for modules and its control by vibrating actuation mechanisms

In this study, we propose a self-repairing mechanism for modules. This mechanism has been developed by studying the self-repairing processes found in nature. Proposed model is considered with the aid of energy given from the external environment. We investigate a self-repairing process using small modules actuated by vibration. We first describe the proposed self-repairing mechanism and its application to the control of a group of modules. We report the development of the vibrator used in this study and formulate the equation of translational and rotational motions of modules placed on this plate. The proposed mechanism is verified by carrying out numerical simulation and experiments. In addition, we introduce two simple structures based on the proposed mechanism.