Pairbot: A Novel Model for Autonomous Mobile Robot Systems Consisting of Paired Robots

TL;DR

The paper introduces Pairbot, a new model for autonomous mobile robots where robots operate in pairs, improving connectivity and problem-solving capabilities in programmable matter systems.

Contribution

It proposes the Pairbot model, a novel paradigm that enhances inter-robot connectivity and computational power through pairing, addressing limitations of traditional models.

Findings

Pairbot improves inter-robot connectivity under asynchronous conditions.

The model demonstrates solutions to the perpetual marching and 7-pairbots-gathering problems.

Pairing significantly enhances problem solvability in autonomous robot systems.

Abstract

Programmable matter (PM) is a form of matter capable of dynamically altering its physical properties, such as shape or density, through programmable means. From a robotics perspective, PM can be realized as a distributed system consisting of numerous small computational entities working collaboratively to achieve specific objectives. Although autonomous mobile robot systems serve as an important example and have been researched for more than two decades, these robots often fail to perform even basic tasks, revealing a considerable gap in PM implementation. In this paper, we introduce a novel computational paradigm, termed the Pairing Robot model (Pairbot model), which is built on an autonomous mobile robot system. In this model, each robot forms a pair with another, enabling them to recognize each other and adapt their positions to achieve designated goals. This fundamental principle of pairing substantially enhances inter-robot connectivity compared to conventional LCM-type model, even under asynchronous scheduler conditions. This shift has considerable implications for computational capabilities, specifically in problem solvability. We explore two specific challenges -- the perpetual marching problem and the 7-pairbots-gathering problem -- to demonstrate the computational power of Pairbot model. This model provides new avenues and insights to address inherent issues in autonomous mobile robots.