# Colorado State University builds TeCoBots, tensegrity modular robots that dock and work in groups - Published: 2026-11-15 04:47 UTC - Section: Machines & Making › Robots - Tags: TeCoBots, tensegrity robot, modular robotics, Colorado State University, Jianguo Zhao, Nature Machine Intelligence, robot docking, open-source firmware, snake robot - URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-a9e9f041a9f93e01303f0f44_colorado_state_university/ **Tube-shaped TeCoBot modules without rigid joints bend like an elephant trunk and couple with mechanical grippers instead of magnets. Tested in the lab and in the field; still human-piloted.** ![Colorado State University builds TeCoBots, tensegrity modular robots that dock and work in groups](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/731e3d7c2c79bb4d.webp) *rp.pl* A team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU), led by Prof. Jianguo Zhao, has built TeCoBots: tube-shaped modular robots without traditional joints, rp.pl reports, citing Nature Machine Intelligence. [1] The machines were tested both in the laboratory and in real-world conditions. [1] Most earlier modular robots that can dock and rearrange into new configurations were made of rigid blocks, which limited their range of motion. [1] ## Tensegrity body and grippers TeCoBots use a tensegrity structure. Rigid rods do not touch each other permanently but are held in position by a network of tensioned cables. [1] As a result, the body can bend, collapse and change shape smoothly, like an octopus arm or an elephant trunk. [1] Each module has precision grippers at both ends, used both to manipulate objects and to couple with a partner robot. [1] According to Prof. Zhao, replacing the magnets used so far with mechanical grippers removed the problem of modules disconnecting and reduced the risk of misaligned connections. [1] ## Single unit and group behavior A single TeCoBot can work alone: it wraps around objects of different sizes or moves over uneven ground like a snake. [1] In a group, modules form chains, loops and branches to carry heavier loads together and to cross gaps in the ground. [1] Mahmud Hasan Saikot, a CSU doctoral student and co-author of the paper, named motor selection as one of the hardest design problems. The drives had to be small enough to allow the full range of motion of the flexible body, yet strong and reliable during long operation. [1] At present the robots are piloted by a human. During the study, however, the team showed that two units can find each other and connect on their own. [1] The researchers' next goals are faster motion, full autonomy and the ability to work with people. [1] The team has released the firmware and the code for autonomous visual docking under an open-source license. [1] The authors say TeCoBots could be used in manufacturing, space exploration and difficult search-and-rescue operations. [1] ## Related snake-like robots rp.pl places the project among other flexible, nature-inspired robots. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing EELS, a four-meter, ten-segment snake robot planned for a mission to Saturn's moon Enceladus. [1] In the oil and gas industry, the six-meter Eelume robot guards subsea infrastructure, staying in a docking station at depths of up to 500 meters for six months without surfacing. [1] The 9 mm, five-meter COBRA robot from Prof. Dragos Axinte's team at the University of Nottingham was designed for repairing jet engines and nuclear plants and is intended for throat cancer and trauma surgery. [1] ## Sources 1. [rp.pl](https://cyfrowa.rp.pl/technologie/art45482471-roboty-jak-traba-slonia-elastyczne-maszyny-potrafia-sie-laczyc-i-wspolpracowac) --- Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-a9e9f041a9f93e01303f0f44_colorado_state_university/