Concepts of Self-maintaining Robots and Their Design

TL;DR

This paper introduces a theoretical framework and design principles for self-maintaining robots capable of autonomous repair and module replacement, enhancing longevity in hazardous environments like nuclear sites and space missions.

Contribution

It presents new design principles, modular solutions, and a mathematical reliability theory for self-maintaining robotic teams, addressing long-term autonomous operation.

Findings

Proposed modular design enabling self-repair within robot teams

Developed a mathematical model for reliability of self-maintaining robots

Outlined an evolutionary approach for designing self-maintaining robotic systems

Abstract

This paper proposes an initial theory for robotic systems that can be fully self-maintaining. The new design principles focus on functional survival of the robots over long periods of time without human maintenance. Self-maintaining semi-autonomous mobile robots are in great demand in nuclear disposal sites from where their removal for maintenance is undesirable due to their radioactive contamination. Similar are requirements for robots in various defence tasks or space missions. For optimal design, modular solutions are balanced against capabilities to replace smaller components in a robot by itself or by help from another robot. Modules are proposed for the basic platform, which enable self-maintenance within a team of robots helping each other. The primary method of self-maintenance is replacement of malfunctioning modules or components by the robots themselves. Replacement necessitates a robot team's ability to diagnose and replace malfunctioning modules as needed. Due to their design, these robots still remain manually re-configurable if opportunity arises for human intervention. Apart from the basic principles, an evolutionary design approach is presented and a first mathematical theory of the reliability of a team of self-maintaining robots is introduced.