Why Modular Design Matters in Robotics
- David Bell
- Dec 20, 2025
- 9 min read
Modular robotics is reshaping how robots are designed, built, and maintained.
Instead of creating single-purpose machines, modular systems use interchangeable parts to build robots that can be reconfigured for different tasks. This approach offers flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency compared to rigid, fixed-design robots. Key advantages include:
Scalability: Add or remove modules to adjust capabilities.
Maintenance: Replace faulty parts without halting the entire system.
Cost Savings: Reuse components and avoid buying specialised robots.
Quick Deployment: Modular systems are faster to set up and upgrade.
By comparison, fixed-design robots struggle with adaptability, are costlier to upgrade, and are prone to downtime when components fail. Modular robotics is proving especially useful in industries like agriculture, where tasks vary widely and demand flexible solutions.
Here’s why modular systems outperform fixed designs across scalability, efficiency, and long-term viability.
Scalability
Modular robotic systems stand out for their ability to scale through "functional amplification" - essentially, multiple modules work together to handle tasks that a single unit simply couldn’t manage [8]. Need more capacity? Just add more modules. This straightforward expansion makes modular platforms incredibly flexible.
There’s also a financial upside. Producing identical modules in large quantities cuts costs and simplifies the assembly process [8]. In fact, the modular robotics market is expected to hit £850 million by 2025 [9].
On the technical side, "policy graphs" have been a game-changer. These shared control parameters allow identical modules (like the legs on a hexapod robot) to share neural network data [1]. Julian Whitman, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, highlights the versatility of this approach:
"Modular robots can be rearranged into a new design, perhaps each day, to handle a wide variety of tasks by forming a customised robot for each new task." - Julian Whitman, Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University [1]
This scalability not only boosts efficiency but also makes maintenance and upgrades more manageable.
Efficiency and Maintenance
When it comes to deployment, modular systems are impressively quick. They can be set up in 3–6 months, with on-site installation taking just 1–5 days. Once operational, they deliver up to 50% more uptime compared to traditional or manual systems [10].
Maintenance is another area where modular systems shine. If one module fails, it won’t bring the entire system to a halt [11]. Modern designs like SMORES-EP can reconfigure themselves - disconnecting, moving, and reattaching - in just about 1 minute, a massive improvement over the 5 to 15 minutes typical of older systems [7]. Plus, the use of interchangeable parts can boost overall reliability by as much as 30% [9].
Future-Proofing
One of the most exciting aspects of modular robotics is how easily they adapt to technological advancements. Individual modules can be updated or replaced without the need for a complete system overhaul [11]. A great example of this adaptability is "Hefty", a modular robot introduced in February 2024 by researchers Dominic Guri, Moonyoung Lee, Oliver Kroemer, and George Kantor. Built on the Farm‐ng Amiga platform, Hefty was reconfigured for five different agricultural tasks, including pepper harvesting, nitrogen sensing in cornstalks, and scouting for soybean pests. This flexibility allowed it to adapt to various crop heights and row widths, offering a shared platform for researchers and farmers alike [6].
"Modular robots provide a way to obtain multiple configurations and reduce costs by enabling incremental acquisition of only the necessary modules." - Dominic Guri, Researcher, Hefty Project [6]
Looking ahead, concepts like "robot metabolism" take modularity even further. These systems could potentially grow by using materials or modules from their surroundings. As Philippe Martin Wyder and his team explain:
"Open-ended physical adaptation is only possible when robots are designed using a small repertoire of simple modules." - Philippe Martin Wyder and colleagues [4]
The future of modular robotics is all about adaptability, efficiency, and staying ahead of the curve.
2. Traditional Robotic Systems
Scalability
Traditional robotic systems, built as single-purpose machines with fixed designs, often struggle to keep up when production demands shift [2][4]. Each new hardware design requires a custom control policy, which makes scaling these systems a significant challenge [1]. As researchers Julian Whitman and colleagues note:
"One could craft a policy from scratch for each new design, but such an approach is not scalable, especially given the large number of designs that can be generated." - Julian Whitman et al., Researchers [1]
This lack of scalability not only increases costs but also limits the ability to adapt to new requirements efficiently [3][8]. These challenges have a direct impact on maintenance and adaptability, as explored below.
Efficiency and Maintenance
Traditional robots are highly vulnerable to single points of failure. A fault in one component can halt the entire system, and finding replacements can be a costly and time-consuming process [13]. Emily Newton from Revolutionised highlights this issue:
"When one aspect of an antiquated robotic tool is faulty, the rest may become obsolete too. Components may be unavailable, price-gouged, back-ordered or out of print." - Emily Newton, Revolutionised [13]
Repairing traditional systems often involves shutting them down entirely, leading to unplanned downtime and production losses [14]. These robots are typically designed for fixed tasks and lack the flexibility needed to adapt quickly to changing production needs. Retooling or repurposing them incurs high costs and time investments, which makes them far less efficient compared to modular systems [14].
Integration with Automation
Traditional robotic systems fall short when it comes to modern automation requirements. While they were designed for mass production with a focus on time, cost, and quality, they lack the adaptability demanded by today’s Smart Manufacturing environments [12]. Their rigid, closed-system architecture prevents them from integrating new materials or components, which limits their ability to self-repair or evolve [4].
Legacy manufacturing systems like Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) have reached their limits in handling rapid, unexpected changes [12]. MDPI Actuators captures this limitation well:
"Traditional systems are limited to rigid configurations that cannot meet dramatic changes in tasks." - MDPI Actuators [12]
This rigidity becomes even more problematic in unstructured environments where robots need to adapt to obstacles or changing conditions - something traditional designs simply can’t handle [7]. These constraints further compound the challenges of ensuring long-term viability.
Future-Proofing
Traditional robots are inherently limited by their closed-system design, which lacks the adaptability and data-driven capabilities of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies [4]. They cannot evolve, self-repair, or incorporate new materials from their surroundings, which significantly hampers their long-term usefulness [4]. Philippe Martin Wyder and his team explain:
"Robots today are primarily monolithic machines with limited ability to self-repair, physically develop, or incorporate material from their environments." - Philippe Martin Wyder et al., Researchers [4]
This rigidity impacts not only current operations but also future planning. While software updates can provide minor improvements, traditional systems often require full replacement to take advantage of new hardware advancements. This makes long-term planning both expensive and complex compared to more adaptable, modular alternatives.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Let’s break down the key strengths and weaknesses of modular and traditional robotics. The comparison largely centres on scalability, maintenance, adaptability, and long-term costs.
Scalability stands out as a key advantage for modular systems. These systems can expand or contract simply by adding or removing identical units. What’s more, their computational load adjusts based on the modules directly connected, rather than the entire system size [5]. In contrast, traditional robots often require a full redesign to modify their capabilities. This difference in scalability sets the tone for how these systems handle maintenance and costs.
Maintenance is another area where modular systems excel. Faulty modules can be isolated and swapped out quickly, which not only simplifies repairs but also boosts reliability by up to 30% [9]. Traditional robots, on the other hand, involve more complex disassembly to access internal components, leading to longer downtimes and higher repair bills.
From a financial perspective, modular systems offer lower long-term costs. Traditional robots often require a significant upfront investment for each new task or application. Modular systems, however, allow for gradual expansion and reuse of components [6]. Standardised modules also reduce development time by 50%, and mass-producing identical parts is far more economical than creating custom components for every design [8][3]. The growing popularity of modular robotics is reflected in market projections, with the industry expected to reach approximately £1.1 billion by 2025 [9].
Here’s a quick comparison of the two approaches:
Feature | Modular Robotic Systems | Traditional Robotic Systems |
Scalability | High – can expand or shrink with modular additions [5] | Low – requires redesign to alter capabilities [5] |
Maintenance | Simplified – faulty modules can be easily replaced [9] | Complex – involves disassembling integrated parts [9] |
Adaptability | High – reconfigures for varied environments like stairs or tunnels [7] | Low – designed for specific tasks or settings [5] |
Long-term Costs | Lower – reusable components and less downtime [9] | Higher – often involves full replacements or custom repairs [9] |
This comparison highlights how modular robotics bring flexibility and cost efficiency to the table, while traditional systems may struggle to keep up in dynamic or evolving scenarios.
Conclusion
The comparison between modular and traditional robotic systems reveals a clear trend towards greater flexibility and long-term practicality. Modular designs shine when it comes to scalability, maintenance, and reconfiguration - areas where conventional robots often fall short. The ability to replace faulty components, adjust configurations for new tasks, and expand systems gradually makes modular robots an appealing choice for industries dealing with unpredictable demands.
This evolution is especially impactful in sectors like food production. For example, a modern modular robot showcased its ability to handle diverse agricultural tasks, ranging from harvesting crops to deploying sensors, all using a single, adaptable platform. This eliminates the need for farmers to invest in multiple specialised machines, significantly lowering the financial barriers traditionally associated with agricultural automation.
"By using a tractor, farmers can execute numerous brute-force tasks... Extending such modularity to robotics infrastructure makes it affordable to both end-users and researchers." – Dominic Guri et al., Carnegie Mellon University [6]
Looking ahead, advancements such as self-healing capabilities - where robots can eject malfunctioning modules and continue operating - promise to boost industry resilience [15]. In agriculture, modular robotics is already playing a key role in initiatives like Agriculture 4.0, enabling precise pesticide application and efficient data collection. These innovations reduce waste while improving productivity [6]. As industries face new challenges, modular design is setting a new bar for agility and cost-effectiveness.
The shift to modular robotics is redefining how industries tackle constant change and minimise downtime expenses.
FAQs
How does modular design make robots more versatile across industries?
Modular design brings a new level of flexibility to robotics by enabling components to be easily swapped, added, or reconfigured to suit different industries' unique demands. Each module is crafted to handle a specific task - whether it's movement, sensing, or manipulation - allowing robots to take on diverse roles like precision assembly, logistics, or construction with minimal adjustment.
This method offers a practical advantage: companies can reuse the same modular components to build tailored robots for various workflows. The result? Lower development costs and faster turnaround times. Modular robots also shine in dynamic environments. For instance, in factories where layouts frequently change or in challenging terrains like those encountered during space exploration, new modules can be integrated without overhauling the entire system.
What’s more, these robots can "self-heal" by replacing faulty parts, ensuring continued operation without major downtime. They can even combine into larger systems when needed, making them a versatile and efficient solution for a broad spectrum of tasks.
What are the cost advantages of modular robotics compared to traditional systems?
Modular robotics bring a clear financial edge by letting businesses invest in only the components they actually need. Instead of a hefty upfront cost, this step-by-step approach makes it easier to manage budgets. Plus, when it’s time to upgrade, you can simply swap out or add new modules rather than replacing the entire system. That’s a big win for affordability.
Another perk? These systems are designed to be resilient. If one part fails, the rest can keep running, which means less downtime and lower maintenance bills. Over time, this boosts efficiency and keeps expenses in check. On top of that, modular systems are quicker to set up, cutting down operational disruptions and saving even more money.
Can modular robots repair themselves or adapt to new technologies?
Modular robots are built with the ability to adjust and transform as needed. If a module becomes faulty, they can often fix the issue by rearranging their structure or swapping out the damaged part. In some cases, they can even eject broken components entirely. What's more, these robots can integrate new parts or materials to keep up with the latest technological developments. This capability allows them to grow and adapt in step with the rapid progress in robotics.
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