Abstract: Modular reconfigurable underwater robots (MRURs) have attracted increasing attention due to their potential to overcome the limitations of conventional underwater robots with fixed structures and single-task capabilities. This review summarizes recent progress in MRUR from three perspectives: modular structural design, sensing and perception, and control strategies. For structural design, this review examines module division, housing, and connectors, highlighting composite pressure-resistant structures and magnetic docking mechanisms as feasible solutions. For perception, MRURs require not only multi-sensor fusion but also topology awareness, docking perception, and distributed perception to handle changes in reconfiguration. For control, MRUR reconfiguration alters topology, dynamics, and actuation; therefore, key issues include topology recognition, docking and separation control, propulsion redundancy, distributed coordination, and the transition toward self-reconfiguration. Finally, representative application scenarios, key technical challenges, and future research directions of MRURs are discussed. With continued technological progress, MRURs are expected to evolve toward self-reconfiguration and self-adaptation, achieving intelligent control and cooperative autonomy.

模块化可重构水下机器人：结构、感知与控制

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