# Tool Macgyvering: A Novel Framework for Combining Tool Substitution and Construction

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.10638 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.10638/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 24 Aug 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [VLMgineer: Vision Language Models as Robotic Toolsmiths](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.12644/) (2025)
- [Learning to Design and Use Tools for Robotic Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.00754/) (2023)
- [Creative Problem Solving in Artificially Intelligent Agents: A Survey and Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.10358/) (2022)
- [RobotSmith: Generative Robotic Tool Design for Acquisition of Complex Manipulation Skills](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.14763/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Macgyvering refers to solving problems inventively by using whatever objects are available at hand. Tool Macgyvering is a subset of macgyvering tasks involving a missing tool that is either substituted (tool substitution) or constructed (tool construction), from available objects. In this paper, we introduce a novel Tool Macgyvering framework that combines tool substitution and construction using arbitration that decides between the two options to output a final macgyvering solution. Our tool construction approach reasons about the shape, material, and different ways of attaching objects to construct a desired tool. We further develop value functions that enable the robot to effectively arbitrate between substitution and construction. Our results show that our tool construction approach is able to successfully construct working tools with an accuracy of 96.67%, and our arbitration strategy successfully chooses between substitution and construction with an accuracy of 83.33%.