Speaker
Philippe Wyder
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University.
Title
"Metabolic Machines"
Abstract
Unlike traditional robots, living creatures are open systems that absorb materials from their environment, metabolize them, and shed waste—enabling self-repair, self-sustenance, and growth. In this talk, I explore a novel process that allows robots to emulate these biological capabilities. I introduce the Robot Link—a truss-style modular robot platform—and the Vibrating Particle Robot platform, highlighting their key hardware design attributes and how these features affect performance. My findings demonstrate the Robot Link's ability to self-assemble, self-repair, and incorporate additional links to enhance size, speed, and capability. Furthermore, I show that three-dimensional robots composed of Robot Links can assist in constructing other three-dimensional structures. These insights offer a glimpse into the potential of metabolic machines, suggesting a path toward more adaptable, resilient, and sustainable robots in the future.
About Speaker
Philippe Wyder is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington under Professor Nathan Kutz in the Department of Applied Mathematics. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University under the guidance of Professor Hod Lipson at the Creative Machines Lab. His research interests lie at the intersection of developmental robotics, artificial life, and artificial intelligence. Wyder focuses on robots that can self-assemble, self-repair, and grow by incorporating materials from their surroundings.
In his recent work, Wyder introduces the Robot Link, a modular robotic platform that can absorb more material, integrate new parts, and shed waste. Wyder shows how robots can enhance their physical structure and capabilities within their lifetime. He is also pioneering the Vibrating Particle Robot, which leverages modularity to create adaptive robotic systems. His broader research ambition is to extend modularity in robot bodies and intelligence, aiming to advance the development of robots that can evolve physically and cognitively. Wyder's research has been published in PLOS One and The Royal Society Interface, and was recently presented at the ReMAR 2024 conference, contributing to the frontier of adaptable and resilient robotic systems.