Designing robotic systems that can change their physical form factor as well as their compliance to adapt to environmental constraints remains a major conceptual and technical challenge. To address this, we introduce the Granulobot, a modular system that blurs the distinction between soft, modular, and swarm robotics. The system consists of gear-like units that each contain a single actuator such that units can self-assemble into larger, granular aggregates using magnetic coupling. These aggregates can reconfigure dynamically and also split up into subsystems that might later recombine. Aggregates can self-organize into collective states with solid- and liquid-like properties, thus displaying widely differing compliances. These states can be perturbed locally via actuators or externally via mechanical feedback from the environment to produce adaptive shape shifting in a decentralized manner. This in turn can generate locomotion strategies adapted to different conditions. Aggregates can move over obstacles without using external sensors or coordinate to maintain a steady gait over different surfaces without electronic communication among units. The modular design highlights a physical, morphological form of control that advances the development of resilient robotic systems with the ability to morph and adapt to different functions and conditions.

翻译：设计能够改变自身物理形态及顺应性以适应环境约束的机器人系统，始终是概念与技术层面的重大挑战。为此，我们提出Granulobot模块化系统，该设计模糊了软体机器人、模块化机器人与群体机器人之间的界限。系统由内含单一驱动器的齿轮形单元组成，这些单元可通过磁耦合自组装为更大的颗粒状聚合体。此类聚合体既能动态重构，也可分裂为日后可重新组合的子系统。聚合体可通过自组织形成具有类固态与类液态特性的集体状态，从而展现出迥异的顺应性。这些状态可通过驱动器的局部扰动或环境力学反馈的外部扰动进行调节，以去中心化方式实现自适应形变。这种机制进而可生成适应不同环境条件的运动策略：聚合体无需外部传感器即可跨越障碍，亦能在无需单元间电子通信的条件下，保持跨不同表面的稳定步态。该模块化设计凸显了一种物理形态控制方法，推动了具备形态可变、自适应不同功能与环境能力的弹性机器人系统的发展。