A Robot Capable of Autonomous Robotic Team Repair: The Hex-DMR II System

Robotic systems are increasingly being used in hazardous environments and remote locations to safely extend human reach. However, these systems can be faced with unexpected events or system faults. Currently, the standard paradigm is to either leave a damaged robot in the field, or to rely on human invention for repair or retrieval. Therefore, a need exists for systems that offer long-term robustness in the face of such failures. In this paper, we present the Hexagonal Distributed Modular Robot (Hex-DMR) II System which is comprised of a team of several autonomous mobile robots capable of performing repair procedures on individual robots in the team. Hex-DMR II represents a potential solution to the longstanding problem of fragility in robotic systems in remote environments. First, we introduce the design elements of the second-generation system and contrast them to its first-generation counterpart. Then we describe the modular team members that result and summarize the repair process. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate the functionality of our system by performing two autonomous procedures necessary for repair.