Our modular, self assembling, magnetic robotic overlords have arrived.

motivez · 04-30-2008, 11:04 AM

I, for one, welcome them.

HAIL MODULAR MAGNETIC ROBOTS

YouTube Video

Apparently it's been done by the robot loving folks over at the University of Pennsylvania.

In all seriousness, this is really cool, though a little bit creepy after seeing movies where robots can self heal to continue killing us all..

I'm trying to think of practical applications, but aside from accidentally stepping on my Roomba (I don't own a Roomba) and not having to buy another one, I'm not really sure.

Linzyhop · 04-30-2008, 11:10 AM

thats kinda cool and a little bit freaky at the same time.

number 5 is alive!!!!!!!!!

7960 · 05-01-2008, 11:14 AM

That was pretty cool, right up until it unexpectedly fell over

Originally Posted by motivez

I'm trying to think of practical applications, but aside from accidentally stepping on my Roomba (I don't own a Roomba) and not having to buy another one, I'm not really sure.

Search and recovery? There are only 3 clusters in that video, but I can see them making 50/500/5000 smaller clusters and dropping them in a pile of debris and letting the things squirm to the bottom to re-assemble.

Or bigger modules could be used as a transport that reconfigures to the most efficient size based on the payload.

Or it could be a way to pack a robot for travel so it re-assembles itself upon arrival.

Or maybe the builder could send 50 modules to a job site and the robot can pick the 5/10/20 it needs to do the job at hand, and then go back and modify its own design as the job changes.

Ardentfrost · 05-05-2008, 04:46 PM

Or we could just fire a bunch of those things at Mars with building materials and let them create our Mars empire while we prepare the spaceships and volunteers

motivez · 05-05-2008, 08:22 PM

That would be awesome if the technology progressed to the level where we could fire a rocket to Mars and have it build us structures..

I bet this could also be useful for constructing stuff in space too?

kombayn · 05-06-2008, 05:17 AM

That's really cool. Anyone who invests in the stock market should start looking into robotic technology, it's dirt cheap and could make you a lot of money 10 to 15 years from now. We inch closer and closer to a completely real new-age.

Kytro · 05-06-2008, 08:10 AM

Robotics requires AI to become really useful, but there are so many strings attached it isn't funny