[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  Deborah [@Deborah07849071](/creator/twitter/Deborah07849071) on x 2647 followers Created: 2025-07-25 22:57:42 UTC ROBOT EVOLUTION. WHEN HUMANS ARE NOT NEEDED. Cannibalism Could Let Robots Self-Repair Researchers envision future robot ecologies where machines independently maintain themselves, growing and adapting to unforeseen tasks and environments. By imitating nature's approach—building complex structures from simple building blocks—robot metabolism paves the way for autonomous robots capable of physical development and long-term resilience. Robots now grow and repair themselves by consuming parts from other machines Today's robots are stuck—their bodies are usually closed systems that can neither grow nor self-repair, nor adapt to their environment. Now, scientists at Columbia University have developed robots that can physically "grow," "heal," and improve themselves by integrating material from their environment or from other robots. Described in a new study published in Science Advances, this process, called "Robot Metabolism," enables machines to absorb and reuse parts from other robots or their surroundings. "True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," explains Philippe Martin Wyder, lead author and researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington. "Just as biological life absorbs and integrates resources, these robots grow, adapt, and repair using materials from their environment or from other robots." This new paradigm is demonstrated on the Truss Link—a robotic magnet stick inspired by the Geomag toy. A Truss Link is a simple, bar-shaped module equipped with free-form magnetic connectors that can expand, contract, and connect with other modules at various angles, enabling them to form increasingly complex structures. The researchers showed how individual Truss Links self-assembled into two-dimensional shapes that could then morph into three-dimensional robots. These robots then further improved themselves by integrating new parts, effectively "growing" into more capable machines. For example, a 3D tetrahedron-shaped robot integrated an additional link that it could use like a walking stick to increase its downhill speed by more than 66.5%. "Robot minds have moved forward by leaps and bounds in the past decade through machine learning, but robot bodies are still monolithic, unadaptive, and unrecyclable," says Hod Lipson, co-author and James and Sally Scapa Professor of Innovation and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, and director of the Creative Machines lab where the work was done. "Biological bodies, in contrast, are all about adaptation—lifeforms can grow, heal, and adapt. In large part, this ability stems from the modular nature of biology that can use and reuse modules (amino acids) from other lifeforms. Ultimately, we'll have to get robots to do the same—to learn to use and reuse parts from other robots. You can think of this nascent field as a form of 'machine metabolism.'" Researchers envision future robot ecologies where machines independently maintain themselves, growing and adapting to unforeseen tasks and environments. By imitating nature's approach—building complex structures from simple building blocks—robot metabolism paves the way for autonomous robots capable of physical development and long-term resilience. "Robot Metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically—creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," says Wyder. "Initially, systems capable of Robot Metabolism will be used in specialized applications such as disaster recovery or space exploration. Ultimately, it opens up the potential for a world where AI can build physical structures or robots just as it today writes or rearranges the words in your email." Lipson concludes with caution: "The image of self-reproducing robots conjures some bad sci-fi scenarios. But the reality is that as we hand off more and more of our lives to robots—from driverless cars to automated manufacturing, and even defense and space exploration. Who is going to take care of these robots? We can't rely on humans to maintain these machines. Robots must ultimately learn to take care of themselves." Cannibalism Could Let Robots Self-Repair In a move that brings science fiction closer to reality, researchers have developed a new kind of robot that can "grow," "heal," and even improve itself by using parts from its environment—or even by cannibalizing other robots. Unlike most of today's machines, which are built as fixed, closed systems, these new robots are designed to physically change and adapt, much like living organisms. The process—dubbed "Robot Metabolism"—allows robots to absorb and reuse components from their surroundings, giving them the ability to evolve over time. "True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," said lead author Philippe Martin Wyder, a researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study introduces a system built around a modular robotic component called a Truss Link. Each Truss Link is a bar-shaped unit with magnetic connectors that can expand, contract, and attach to other modules. On their own, these units are simple. But when combined, they can self-assemble into complex, functional robots. In experiments, the researchers showed how Truss Links formed flat shapes that transformed into 3D robots. These robots could then add new pieces—either scavenged from the environment or taken from other robots—to improve their abilities. In one example, a robot shaped like a tetrahedron attached an extra piece to act like a walking stick, increasing its downhill speed by more than XXXX percent. "Robot minds have moved forward by leaps and bounds in the past decade through machine learning, but robot bodies are still monolithic, unadaptive, and unrecyclable," said Hod Lipson, co-author of the study and director of Columbia's Creative Machines Lab. "Biological bodies, in contrast, are all about adaptation—lifeforms, can grow, heal, and adapt. In large part, this ability stems from the modular nature of biology that can use and reuse modules (amino acids) from other lifeforms. "Ultimately, we'll have to get robots to do the same—to learn to use and reuse parts from other robots. You can think of this nascent field as a form of 'machine metabolism.'" The team envisions a future where robots are part of self-sustaining ecosystems. Instead of relying on humans for maintenance, robots could grow stronger and smarter by incorporating whatever materials are available—much like how living things grow by consuming nutrients or other organisms. "Robot Metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically—creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," Wyder explained. Initially, such adaptable machines could be used in challenging environments like disaster zones or outer space. However, Lipson adds a note of caution: "The image of self-reproducing robots conjures some bad sci-fi scenarios. But the reality is that as we hand off more and more of our lives to robots—from driverless cars to automated manufacturing, and even defense and space exploration. "Who is going to take care of these robots? We can't rely on humans to maintain these machines. Robots must ultimately learn to take care of themselves." Reference Wyder, P. M., Bakhda, R., Zhao, M., Booth, Q. A., Modi, M. E., Song, A., Kang, S., Wu, J., Patel, P., Kasumi, R. T., Yi, D., Garg, N. N., Jhunjhunwala, P., Bhutoria, S., Tong, E. H., Hu, Y., Goldfeder, J., Mustel, O., Kim, D., & Lipson, H. (2025). Robot metabolism: Toward machines that can grow by consuming other machines. Science Advances, 11(29).  XX engagements  **Related Topics** [robot](/topic/robot) [Post Link](https://x.com/Deborah07849071/status/1948880366959559121)
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Deborah @Deborah07849071 on x 2647 followers
Created: 2025-07-25 22:57:42 UTC
ROBOT EVOLUTION. WHEN HUMANS ARE NOT NEEDED.
Cannibalism Could Let Robots Self-Repair
Researchers envision future robot ecologies where machines independently maintain themselves, growing and adapting to unforeseen tasks and environments. By imitating nature's approach—building complex structures from simple building blocks—robot metabolism paves the way for autonomous robots capable of physical development and long-term resilience.
Robots now grow and repair themselves by consuming parts from other machines
Today's robots are stuck—their bodies are usually closed systems that can neither grow nor self-repair, nor adapt to their environment. Now, scientists at Columbia University have developed robots that can physically "grow," "heal," and improve themselves by integrating material from their environment or from other robots.
Described in a new study published in Science Advances, this process, called "Robot Metabolism," enables machines to absorb and reuse parts from other robots or their surroundings.
"True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," explains Philippe Martin Wyder, lead author and researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington. "Just as biological life absorbs and integrates resources, these robots grow, adapt, and repair using materials from their environment or from other robots."
This new paradigm is demonstrated on the Truss Link—a robotic magnet stick inspired by the Geomag toy. A Truss Link is a simple, bar-shaped module equipped with free-form magnetic connectors that can expand, contract, and connect with other modules at various angles, enabling them to form increasingly complex structures.
The researchers showed how individual Truss Links self-assembled into two-dimensional shapes that could then morph into three-dimensional robots. These robots then further improved themselves by integrating new parts, effectively "growing" into more capable machines. For example, a 3D tetrahedron-shaped robot integrated an additional link that it could use like a walking stick to increase its downhill speed by more than 66.5%.
"Robot minds have moved forward by leaps and bounds in the past decade through machine learning, but robot bodies are still monolithic, unadaptive, and unrecyclable," says Hod Lipson, co-author and James and Sally Scapa Professor of Innovation and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, and director of the Creative Machines lab where the work was done.
"Biological bodies, in contrast, are all about adaptation—lifeforms can grow, heal, and adapt. In large part, this ability stems from the modular nature of biology that can use and reuse modules (amino acids) from other lifeforms. Ultimately, we'll have to get robots to do the same—to learn to use and reuse parts from other robots. You can think of this nascent field as a form of 'machine metabolism.'"
Researchers envision future robot ecologies where machines independently maintain themselves, growing and adapting to unforeseen tasks and environments. By imitating nature's approach—building complex structures from simple building blocks—robot metabolism paves the way for autonomous robots capable of physical development and long-term resilience.
"Robot Metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically—creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," says Wyder. "Initially, systems capable of Robot Metabolism will be used in specialized applications such as disaster recovery or space exploration. Ultimately, it opens up the potential for a world where AI can build physical structures or robots just as it today writes or rearranges the words in your email."
Lipson concludes with caution: "The image of self-reproducing robots conjures some bad sci-fi scenarios. But the reality is that as we hand off more and more of our lives to robots—from driverless cars to automated manufacturing, and even defense and space exploration. Who is going to take care of these robots? We can't rely on humans to maintain these machines. Robots must ultimately learn to take care of themselves."
Cannibalism Could Let Robots Self-Repair
In a move that brings science fiction closer to reality, researchers have developed a new kind of robot that can "grow," "heal," and even improve itself by using parts from its environment—or even by cannibalizing other robots.
Unlike most of today's machines, which are built as fixed, closed systems, these new robots are designed to physically change and adapt, much like living organisms.
The process—dubbed "Robot Metabolism"—allows robots to absorb and reuse components from their surroundings, giving them the ability to evolve over time.
"True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," said lead author Philippe Martin Wyder, a researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington.
Published in the journal Science Advances, the study introduces a system built around a modular robotic component called a Truss Link.
Each Truss Link is a bar-shaped unit with magnetic connectors that can expand, contract, and attach to other modules. On their own, these units are simple. But when combined, they can self-assemble into complex, functional robots.
In experiments, the researchers showed how Truss Links formed flat shapes that transformed into 3D robots.
These robots could then add new pieces—either scavenged from the environment or taken from other robots—to improve their abilities.
In one example, a robot shaped like a tetrahedron attached an extra piece to act like a walking stick, increasing its downhill speed by more than XXXX percent.
"Robot minds have moved forward by leaps and bounds in the past decade through machine learning, but robot bodies are still monolithic, unadaptive, and unrecyclable," said Hod Lipson, co-author of the study and director of Columbia's Creative Machines Lab.
"Biological bodies, in contrast, are all about adaptation—lifeforms, can grow, heal, and adapt. In large part, this ability stems from the modular nature of biology that can use and reuse modules (amino acids) from other lifeforms.
"Ultimately, we'll have to get robots to do the same—to learn to use and reuse parts from other robots. You can think of this nascent field as a form of 'machine metabolism.'"
The team envisions a future where robots are part of self-sustaining ecosystems. Instead of relying on humans for maintenance, robots could grow stronger and smarter by incorporating whatever materials are available—much like how living things grow by consuming nutrients or other organisms.
"Robot Metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically—creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," Wyder explained. Initially, such adaptable machines could be used in challenging environments like disaster zones or outer space.
However, Lipson adds a note of caution: "The image of self-reproducing robots conjures some bad sci-fi scenarios. But the reality is that as we hand off more and more of our lives to robots—from driverless cars to automated manufacturing, and even defense and space exploration.
"Who is going to take care of these robots? We can't rely on humans to maintain these machines. Robots must ultimately learn to take care of themselves."
Reference Wyder, P. M., Bakhda, R., Zhao, M., Booth, Q. A., Modi, M. E., Song, A., Kang, S., Wu, J., Patel, P., Kasumi, R. T., Yi, D., Garg, N. N., Jhunjhunwala, P., Bhutoria, S., Tong, E. H., Hu, Y., Goldfeder, J., Mustel, O., Kim, D., & Lipson, H. (2025). Robot metabolism: Toward machines that can grow by consuming other machines. Science Advances, 11(29).
XX engagements
Related Topics robot