MIT researchers have managed to create self assembling modular robots. The next step: sentient mechanical robots! Did someone say Transformers?

The researchers released a video demonstrating their success. According to MIT, back in 2011, MIT senior John Romanishin was advised by his robotics professor Daniela Rus that his concept for self-assembling robots could not be pulled off. But Romanishin, Rus and post-doc candidate Kyle Gilpin demonstrate that their concept works.

For now it's still a very basic system.



The robots are called M-blocks and they each contain a flywheel that can reach speeds of 20,000 revolutions per minute. When it breaks, its angular momentum is transferred to the cube and each is equipped with a specialized magnet.

This allows them to climb on top of each other, leap, and fly to align in a variety of arrangements.

“It’s one of these things that the [modular-robotics] community has been trying to do for a long time,” Rus said. “We just needed a creative insight and somebody who was passionate enough to keep coming at it — despite being discouraged.”

The breakthrough development could lead to a lot of real world applications, like building temporary bridges or creating scaffolding systems for construction projects to even other day to day products that we use.

Or maybe one day, it'll lead to this: