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Designing Robots that Self-Assemble and Adapt in Space

University of Michigan engineers are working on creating self-assembling robots that can build themselves into any form required while they are out on a space mission. The researchers are drawing on a University of Pennsylvania project called FoamBot - a modular robot that while under remote control would assemble modules together with sprayable foam. Assistant professor Shai Revzen and his team at the Biologically Inspired Robotics and Dynamical Systems (BIRDS) Lab have built a new foam mixing system and are working on a variety of innovative solutions to create mechanical and robotic tools for challenging situations.