Self-assembling robotic construction system and associated methods
AssigneeITI Electromagnetic Products, Inc.
InventorsCharles Arthur Buthala, Mark Hobbs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robotic construction unit comprising a processor, a plurality of battery modules, and a plurality of magnetic modules. The processor is operable to control the operation of the magnetic modules. Each battery module is operable to provide power to at least one of the processor and a magnetic module of the plurality of magnetic modules. Each magnetic module is operable to alternatively establish magnetic attraction to a magnetic module of an adjacent robotic construction unit or establish magnetic repulsion to the magnetic module of the adjacent robotic construction unit.
Claims19
A robotic construction unit comprising:
- a processor;
- a plurality of battery modules;
- and
- a plurality of magnetic modules, each magnetic module comprising:
- a magnet;
- and
- an actuator;
- wherein each battery module is operable to provide power to at least one of the processor and a magnetic module of the plurality of magnetic modules;
- wherein the processor is operable to control the actuator;
- wherein the actuator is operable to change an orientation of the magnet with respect to an exterior face of the magnetic module;
- wherein each magnetic module is operable to alternatively establish magnetic attraction to a magnetic module of an adjacent robotic construction unit or establish magnetic repulsion to the magnetic module of the adjacent robotic construction unit.
A robotic construction unit comprising:
- a processor;
- a plurality of battery modules;
- a plurality of magnetic modules, each magnetic module comprising:
- an exterior face,
- a magnet,
- an actuator,
- a sensor, and
- a communication device;
- a frame to which the processor, the battery modules, and the magnetic modules are attached;
- wherein the processor is operable to control the operation of the magnetic modules;
- wherein each battery module is operable to provide power to at least one of the processor and a magnetic module of the plurality of magnetic modules;
- wherein the sensor is operable to provide a feedback to the processor;
- wherein the processor is operable to control the operation of the actuator responsive to the feedback from the sensor;
- wherein the actuator is operable to change an orientation of the magnet with respect to the exterior face of the magnetic module, thereby alternatively establishing magnetic attraction to a magnetic module of an adjacent robotic construction unit or establishing magnetic repulsion to the magnetic module of the adjacent robotic construction unit;
- and
- wherein the communication device comprises a first antenna operable for near-field communication (NFC) and a second antenna operable for radio-frequency communication other than NFC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.