Hex-DMR: A modular robotic test-bed for demonstrating team repair

This work presents a novel test-bed design for demonstrating techniques for team repair in modular robotic systems. The advantages of using modular and team repairable robots are discussed and theoretical constraints for creating a system capable of team repair are enumerated. These constraints are used to develop the Hex-DMR (Hexagonal Distributed Modular Robot) system which centers on a unique repair scheme based on modular components. The proposed system is demonstrated first with computer simulations, which outline the environment navigation scheme and team operation dynamics, and then with a physical prototype, with which a simple repair maneuver is shown.