Columbia's modular robots can adapt and evolve like living organisms
Columbia University has introduced "Truss Link" robots—think of them as smart, rod-shaped building blocks that snap together with magnets.
They start out flat, then fold into 3D shapes like tetrahedrons, and can even get stronger or more useful by adding new parts.
Robots can team up to form complex structures
These bots can team up to form complex structures, like turning into a walking stick to move faster up a 10-degree incline—one test showed a speed boost of over 66%.
They're also pretty self-sufficient: if a part runs low on power, it gets swapped out for a fresh one.
Sometimes they help each other by sharing pieces, almost like robotic teamwork inspired by nature.
Next step is adding sensors for smarter reactions
Lead researcher Philippe Martin Wyder says each module is "like an amino acid," able to combine in endless ways to create new robot types.
Right now they're remote-controlled, but early tests show they could soon organize themselves and adapt on their own.
The team's next step is adding sensors so these bots can react even smarter—imagine fully self-sustaining robot communities someday.