18.09.2024 20:00
Research results, scientific publications
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A chain of HEXEL modules with Ellen Rumley on the left and Zach Yoder on the right.
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W. Scheible
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MPI-IS / W. Scheible
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Note on the use of images: The use of the images for the press release is permitted free of charge provided the source is mentioned. The images may only be used in connection with the content of this press release. If you require the image in higher resolution or have questions about further use, please contact the press office that published it directly.
HEXEL modules can be plugged together as required.
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Zachary Yoder and Ellen Rumley / MPI-IS
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Embargo: Release only from Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, 8:00 p.m. in Germany.
• Scientists at the MPI-IS have developed electrically operated robot components, so-called HEXEL modules, that can be assembled into reconfigurable high-speed robots.
• Magnets on the outside of the modules allow them to connect electrically and mechanically to other modules
• Robots with different shapes and capabilities are created – a sustainable robot design.
• HEXEL modules are a promising technology. One vision is their use in space or rescue missions, for example.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart are integrating soft, artificial muscles into a rigid, magnetic exoskeleton, creating building blocks for fast-moving, reconfigurable robots.
Embargo: Release only from Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, 8:00 p.m. in Germany.
Stuttgart – Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) have developed hexagonal robot components that can be easily assembled into high-speed robots in LEGO brick style. The team from the Robotics Materials Department at the MPI-IS, led by Christoph Keplinger, equipped each of the hexagonal magnetic components with the artificial muscles known to the department. Quickly rearranged, the modules, called “HEXEL”, can be used for a wide variety of purposes without much effort. The research paper “Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for quickly reconfigurable high-speed robots” will be published in the journal Science Robotics on September 18, 2024.
Six lightweight, rigid sheets of fiberglass form the basis of each HEXEL module. The hexagons’ internal joints are powered by hydraulically amplified, electrostatic artificial muscles called HASELs. Applying high voltage to the module activates the muscle, causing the hexagon’s joints to rotate and change its shape from long and narrow to wide and flat.
“The combination of soft and rigid components enables high jumps and high speeds. By connecting multiple modules together, we can create new robot geometries and reuse them for different requirements,” says Ellen Rumley, visiting researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder in the USA. She and Zachary Yoder are doctoral students in the Robotics Materials Department at the MPI-IS and the first authors of the publication.
In a video, the team shows the many movements that the HEXEL modules are capable of. For example, a group of modules crawls through a narrow gap while a single module jumps high into the air. Several modules are connected to form larger structures that produce different movements depending on how the modules are attached. For example, the team combined several modules to form a robot that rolls quickly over sand.
“We see it as very practical to develop robots with reconfigurable capabilities. This is far more sustainable than building five different robots for five different purposes. With HEXEL, we can assemble many different robots from the same components. Robots that consist of reconfigurable modules can be rearranged as needed, making them more versatile than specialized systems. This can be very beneficial, especially in resource-constrained environments,” Yoder concluded.
Reference:
Zachary Yoder†, Ellen H. Rumley†, Ingemar Schmidt, Philipp Rothemund, Christoph Keplinger*, Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for rapidly reconfigurable high-speed robots. Sci. Robot. (2024). DOI:10.1126/scirobotics.adl3546
†Equal contribution
*Corresponding author
Scientific contact:
Ellen Rumley rumley@is.mpg.de
Zachary Yoder yoder@is.mpg.de
Original publication:
Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for rapidly reconfigurable high-speed robots. Sci. Robot. (2024). DOI:10.1126/scirobotics.adl3546
Further information:
http://www.is.mpg.de/news
http://Photos and videos can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rz8a6nz9lakylxh8ws2l8/ABazGbtdEDxeUPnTYGjKnSg?rlkey=cu3msfequatsys1eeyo5doop3&dl=0
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