Over the past decade, AI and robots have made great progress. Robots have appeared in various forms, including humanoid types, dogs, fish, and cockroaches. But this time, MIT is attracting attention with the cube-type robot M-Blocks.
Mblocks is an improved version developed by MIT CSAIL in 2013. Small cube robots use built-in flywheels and magnets to bounce and move even if they are squares, and show a skill that recognizes and stacks each other.
In Mblocks, M (Motion, Magnet, Magic) has a meaning in parentheses. By using this function, a large amount of emblocks can be used to accomplish complex tasks. A normal robot requires a complex mechanism to perform a series of motions. However, cube-type robots not only freely combine, but also enable desired movement at lower cost through scalability.
Now, Mblox can only perform simple motions that align up to 16 in a row or move in a specified direction or following something. However, the development team revealed that the cube robot could not stay as a magic trick, but ultimately could automatically build stairs or the like in places with large steps for disaster support activities and recovery. In addition, a range of applications such as production sites, medical care, and games can be expected. Related information can be found here .