As the approach toward robotics in the science community has evolved over time, researchers are finding ever-more-clever ways to manipulate the physical structures and unique locomotive abilities of artificially intelligent constructs.
One particularly revolutionary new take on the modern robot is called the M-Block, a modular robot in the shape of a cube that works with an array of identical blocks to build ever-changing structures in any number of shapes.
See also: 14 Robotics Breakthroughs From the Past Decade
Developed by John Romanishin, a research scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, along with several colleagues, each M-Block moves thanks to an internal flywheel that can turn at up to 20,000 revolutions per minute. Once the flywheel stops in a pre-programmed direction, the momentum of the shift moves the block in that direction.
Because the M-Block has no outside moving parts, its internal locomotive dynamic makes the robot appear as if it’s being pushed by some invisible force.
On the M-Block’s exterior are a series of magnets, eight on each side of the cube, and a cylindrical magnet on each edge. This series of magnets allow each block to easily attach itself to another, regardless of the vertical or horizontal position of the blocks.
The combination of the flywheel-generated motion along with the magnetic connections allows sets of M-Blocks to constantly transform into a wide array of shapes of varying height and intricacy.

In the future, the team envisions significantly smaller versions of the self-assembling blocks that would work together so seamlessly that to the naked eye the collection of miniature blocks would look like liquid steel (think Terminator 2).
Until then, the team is working on building 100 hundred of the M-Blocks to explore the broader possibilities of how the current version of the robots can be used outside of the lab.
With its wet-mop and vacuum capabilities in the same box, the H68 aims to take the place of two iRobot devices (the Roomba vacuum and Scooba mopping robots). It has an independent vacuum and mop cleaning modes, as well as a combined automatic mode.
Ozobot, a game-playing robot, wants you to get physical with digital games -- and it could be on to something. It's a tiny, one-inch-tall robot designed to work on top of tablet and smartphone screens, as well on as paper.
Some updates to the Pleo Robot Dinosaur include voice recognition with any language, more touch sensors, the ability to sense temperatures and time-of-day awareness.
Think of the $120 Grillbot as a Roomba for your grill. It’s got three motors, replaceable wire brushes and the wherewithal to change directions as it bumps into the sides of your grill.
PIRO's Windoro promises to do for windows what the Roomba does for floors, with an autonomous robot roaming across a surface and cleaning it in the process.
Massive Audio, a car speaker company, built a 6-foot-tall replica of a dalek, the marquee mechanical monster from BBC's Doctor Who. The Dalek is made out of speaker components, including 32 woofers along the bottom, a huge subwoofer inside the head and 5,000 watts of amplifiers in the back. It is powered by a pair of massive batteries.
The RAPIRO robot comes with RGB LEDs, 12 servos, and an Arduino-compatible servo control board. It will set you back $354.
The new iRobot Scooba intelligent mop is slightly heavier and larger than its previous incarnation, the Scooba 390. According to iRobot, it is also three times more effective at clearing dirty floors than the last model; Scooba's internal components, including the motors, brushes and fans, have all been replaced.
AIMe is a small, lightweight camera rig that detects motion up to 150 feet with special sensors. This robot will be available in June of 2014 with a price tag of $299.99.
With 56 preset dance moves, just turn on your favorite music and these robots will dance. You can also sync it with your smartphone and make its moves mimic your own.
This new device provides a platform for athletes, trainers, parents and filmmakers to automatically film themselves or their subjects from up to 2,000 feet away. New features include including vertical tracking, camera control accessories for automatic zooming, a smaller lighter transmitter and compatibility with third-party professional tripods.
MiP is a $99.99 toy-sized robot programmed to act at your command. In its default behavior, MiP responds to a user's claps and other hand gestures
Five Elements Robotics has developed Budgee to help with common everyday tasks. Budgee likes to carry items for you and uses "follow-me" technology to track your actions. It can hold up to 50 pounds and comes equipped with a locking mechanism so your bags and valuables are safe and secure until they're unlocked.
These two were so busy working on their robots that they didn't bother to look up or decorate their booth.
The robot is controlled by Bluetooth and iOS or Android smartphone apps and can travel up to 14 feet per second over multiple surfaces. Using infrared technology, users can play multiplayer games by remote control. The robot will be available in the fall of this year for $99.
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Image: MIT