A Reliable Docking Mechanism and Close-Range Docking Algorithm for Modular Reconfigurable Robots

Docking between modules is a key issue for modular self-reconfigurable robots. Reconfigurability allows modular robots to form new structures and gain functionality that a single module does not have. In this paper, a docking mechanism is designed for a chained modular mobile robot. The docking mechanism is compact in structure and reliable in operation and can provide stable rigid coupling between modules. In addition, a docking method based on infrared sensors is proposed for self-reconfigurable wheeled robots. Experiments are carried out on two vehicles to verify the effectiveness of the method.