F L O A T F O R M

F L O A T F O R M

Self-reconfiguring aquatic robots offer promise for a wide range of marine applications, including building temporary infrastructure. We present FloatForm, a group of miniature modular robotic boats, capable of self-assembling into physically connected structures. We demonstrate the feasibility of aquatic self-reconfiguration via hybrid coordination, where distributed controllers on each robot handle coordination tasks, avoiding collisions, while a minimalist central planner oversees the overall success of each task and fixes final imperfections. This work advances the design, control, and coordination of modular robotic systems in aquatic environments, paving the way for flexible, robust and scalable applications on the water.

TEAM

research

• Wei Wang* Lead Research [MIT, UWM]
• Carlo Ratti SCL Director
• Daniela Rus CSAIL Director
• Niklas Hagemann Co-lead Research
• Alejandro Gonzalez-Garcia Co-lead Research
• * Marine Robotics Lab | University of Wisconsin-Madison

design

• Fábio Duarte Design Supervision
• Elizabeth McCaffrey Web Design & Content Editing

PUBLICATION

Wang, W., Hagemann, N., Gonzalez-Garcia, A., Ratti, C., Rus, D. (2026). Self-Reconfiguring Modular Robotic Boats, Nature Communications.

PRESS

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• It is duly credited as a project by the MIT Senseable City Lab
• A PDF copy of the publication is sent to senseable-press@mit.edu

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