The roombot modular robot will soon have the ability transform into any piece of furniture, from a table to a chair and back again.
Researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland developed the devices. Segments of the bots are able to maneuver on their own, and attach to one another like children's building blocks.
"The idea of different units that self-assemble and change morphology has been around for quite a while, but nobody came up with a good idea for how to use them," Massimo Vespignani, lead researcher on the Roombot project, told Live Science.
Developers hope their research may lead to devices that assist daily living skills of those with physical challenges, including the elderly.
"It could be very useful for disabled individuals to be able to ask objects to come closer to them, or to move out of the way," Auke Ijspeert, head of the Biorobotics Laboratory at the university, said.
The roombot consists of a pair of blocks, roughly nine inches long. Three battery-powered motors allow the device to travel. A system of retractable claws allows the device to attach to sister roombots or to other objects.
Tracks are designed, allowing the Roombot to travel along the predetermined path, or the modular robots are able to move around a room without the guide. The Roombot will also be able to attach to traditional furniture, using slots in the device, as well as their "hands."
Although the robots developed by the team are prototypes, researchers hope commercial versions of their device will be available within 20 years. One of the limitations of the current design is that they cannot support the weight of a fully-grown human being, an essential requirement for furniture. Battery life is also an issue, as power only lasts for one hour. Future designs could allow the robots to share energy between modules, or re-charge by plugging into outlets on the wall.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of all facing future developers will be how the public will react to the idea of moving, semi-autonomous furniture. Robots could be customized to allow a greater degree of automated functions for customers with physical challenges.
"Eventually, all you'll need to do is program the layout of a bedroom or a conference room, then let the modules do the work," Ijspeert told the press.
Roombot development was profiled in the journal Robotics and Autonomous Systems.
