SnailBot Modular Continuously Dockable Self-Reconfigurable Robot

Meet the SnailBot: a modular self-reconfigurable robot with 3D continuous docking. It has a ferromagnetic spherical shell with a 6-wheel rocker chassis with magnets. This robot doesn’t require fixed docking locations:

“SnailBot uses the 3D continuous dock to attach to its peers regardless of alignment. This freeform docking mechanism can greatly improve the efficiency of self-reconfiguration and reduce docking failures because there is nearly no constraint in the location of the connector

Owing to the excellent obstacle crossing ability of the rocker-bogie suspension, the robot can freely crawl on other modules in the form of a sliding sphere.”

[HT]