Connectors for self-reconfiguring robots

Abstract

Connectors for self-reconfiguring robots are difficult to design because of the wide range of requirements. We describe the DRAGON connector, whose most distinctive features are its ability to self-align and its strength-to-weight ratio. It weighs 170 g, but holds over 70-kg load. It is able to self-align /spl plusmn/15 mm (O/5) lateral offsets and /spl plusmn/45/spl deg/ directional and rotational offsets. It allows autonomous docking and reconfiguration in a fraction of a second, without any complex control.