# University of Tokyo's TwinX robots dock via single wire to form three configurations

> **Key takeaway:** Researchers at the University of Tokyo developed TwinX, a pair of wheeled-legged robots that connect via a retractable Dyneema wire to form a quadruped, swerve-drive vehicle, or mobile manipulator.

**Published:** 2026-10-19T18:54:48+00:00 
**Source:** Hackster.io News 
**Category:** open-hardware 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/university-of-tokyos-twinx-robots-dock-via-single-wire-to-fo.html 

## Summary
The TwinX system consists of two identical WiXus robots, each with articulated limbs ending in wheels. A 2 mm Dyneema wire with 313 newtons of continuous tension pulls them together until docking pins engage, creating rigid mechanical connections. The wire remains active when robots are separated, enabling cooperative manipulation and force transmission. Three docking surfaces allow transformation between configurations. The platform remains experimental; researchers aim to automate separated cooperation and expand to multi-robot, multi-wire systems.

## How TwinX reconfigures without rigid modular docking
- Each WiXus unit has wheeled legs with articulated limbs; the 2 mm Dyneema wire is wound by a motorized mechanism generating 313 N continuous tension
- Four docking pins engage corresponding holes when wire retracts, with wire tension maintaining connection rigidity against bending and twisting
- Three configurations: quadruped for uneven terrain, swerve-drive with independently steerable wheels, and mobile manipulator with one robot stacked vertically
- Wire remains functional when separated: demonstrated for surrounding/transporting objects, hooking objects, and tension-assisted slope traversal
- Current limitations: cooperation between separated robots is not yet automated

## Why it matters
The wire-based approach avoids the complex mechanical docking systems typical of modular robotics, potentially lowering cost and failure modes. If extended to multi-robot systems with automated coordination, it could influence open hardware designs for adaptable field robotics.