Abstract: A main characteristic of the reconfigurable mobile robot AMOEBA-I is that it has diverse configurations, but some reconfigurations are difficult to realize under the influence of ground conditions. A cooperative reconfiguration method is proposed to reduce reconfiguration resistance and enhance the adaptability of the robot to the environment. The mathematical model is established correspondingly. The kinematics and mechanical properties of each section of the robot are analyzed. A part of resistance is transformed into active force of reconfiguration, and transforms are actualized among five specific configurations. Further, the linearization of model based on a perturbation analysis method is used to reduce the computational complexity. Finally, an evaluation criterion is proposed for AMOEBA-I’s cooperative reconfiguration performance. The validity of the cooperative reconfiguration method is proved by simulations and experiments.

Key words: Cooperation, Modular, Perturbation analysis, Reconfiguration, Robot, Shape shifting