Basic Problems in Self-Assembling Robots and a Case Study of Segregation on Tribolon Platform

It has been a quite while since people realized that self-assembly technique may be a strong method to manufacture 3D micro products. In this contribution, we investigate some major concerns about realizing such a small sized robot. First we introduce the concept of self-assembly and introduce examples both from nature and artificial products. Followed by the main problems in self-assembly which can be seen in various scales, we classify them into four groups - (A) assembly constraint issues, (B) stochastic motion issues, (C) interactions on physical property issues, and (D) engineering issues. Then we show a segregation effect with our developed platform as an example of self-organizing behavior achieved in a distributed manner.