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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy

Published on: October 14, 2017

Self-reconfiguring modular robotic boats.

Wei Wang^1,2,3, Niklas Hagemann^4,5, Alejandro Gonzalez-Garcia^4,5,6

¹Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. wwang745@wisc.edu.

Nature Communications

|July 9, 2026

Summary

Researchers developed the FloatForm platform, a group of modular robotic boats that can autonomously self-assemble and reconfigure on water. This innovation enables flexible and scalable marine applications through advanced coordination strategies.

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy

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Area of Science:

Robotics
Marine Engineering
Autonomous Systems

Background:

Self-reconfiguring aquatic robots are crucial for diverse marine tasks like infrastructure building, environmental monitoring, and search-and-rescue.
Autonomous aquatic self-reconfiguration is hindered by complex hydrodynamics, robot interactions, and environmental disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

To present the FloatForm platform, a novel system of modular robotic boats designed for aquatic self-assembly and reconfiguration.
To demonstrate a hybrid coordination framework enabling autonomous collective behavior in modular aquatic robots.

Main Methods:

Development of the FloatForm platform, featuring miniature modular robotic boats with onboard sensing and motion control.
Implementation of a hybrid coordination framework combining distributed robot controllers and a minimalist central planner.
Experimental demonstration of self-assembly into connected structures, self-reconfiguration into desired shapes, and collective travel.

Main Results:

Successful demonstration of the FloatForm platform's capability for autonomous aquatic self-reconfiguration.
Validation of the hybrid coordination framework for managing aggregation, collision avoidance, and task completion.
Proof of concept for collective travel of robot assemblies on water.

Conclusions:

The FloatForm platform advances the design, control, and coordination of modular robotic systems for aquatic environments.
Hybrid coordination proves effective for achieving robust and scalable self-reconfiguration in modular aquatic robots.
This work paves the way for flexible and robust marine applications utilizing autonomous robotic assemblies.