Prototyping large, electronically integrated structures is challenging and often results in unwieldy wiring, weak mechanical properties, expensive iterations, or limited reusability. While many electronics prototyping kits exist for small-scale objects, relatively few methods exist to freely iterate large and sturdy structures with integrated electronics. To address this gap, we present the Voxel Invention Kit (VIK), which uses reconfigurable blocks that assemble into high-stiffness, lightweight structures with integrated electronics. We do this by creating cubic blocks composed of PCBs that carry electrical routing and components and can be (re)configured with simple tools into a variety of structures. To ensure structural stability without expertise, we created a tool to configure structures and simulate applied loads, which we validated with mechanical testing data. Using VIK, we produced devices reconfigured from a shared set of voxels: multiple iterations of a customizable AV lounge seat, a dance floor game, and a force-sensing bridge.

We present a robotic system for the assembly of 3D discrete lattice structures in which the robots are able to self-reproduce, such that the assembly system may scale its own parallelization. Robots and structures are made from a set of compatible building blocks, or voxels, which can be assembled and reassembled into more complex structures. Robotic modules are made by combining actuators with a functional voxel, which routes electrical power and signals. Robotic modules then assemble into reconfigurable robots via a reversible solder joint. The robot assembles higher performance structures using a set of construction voxels, which do not contain electrical features. This paper describes the design, development, and evaluation of this assembly system, including the robotic hardware, lattice material, and planning and controls methods. We demonstrate the system through a set of fundamental assembly tasks: the robot assembling another robot, and the two robots collaborating to assemble a small structure.