Roombots is a series of small robotic modules by the Biorobotics Laboratory (BIOROB) at Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) that can change their shape to create furniture. Each 22-centimeter-long module includes a wireless connection, a battery, three motors, and retractable claws that allow them to latch onto each other to form larger structures. The researchers behind Roombots also developed special surfaces featuring holes for their retractable claws that allow the modules to interact with other objects.
The Roombots project is a true technological challenge, and for the moment it includes four functional modules with an autonomy of one-hour – still not enough to create complete pieces of furniture, but enough to build simple structures and hybrid combinations.
images via Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
