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Toward Conductive Polymer-Based Soft Milli-Robots for Vacuum Applications.

Amine Benouhiba¹, Patrick Rougeot¹, Morvan Ouisse¹

¹FEMTO-ST Institute, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, National Center for Scientific Research, Besançon, France.

Frontiers in Robotics and AI

|January 27, 2021

Summary

Conducting polymer (CP) soft milli-robots show great promise for vacuum applications. These polypyrrole-based robots demonstrate high performance for microscale manipulation and potential in biomedical fields.

Keywords:

conducting polymers electroactive polymers micromanipulation soft milli-robots vacuum environment

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Robotics
Polymer Chemistry

Background:

Conducting polymers (CPs) have advanced significantly, enabling reliable synthesis for applications like artificial muscles.
CP-based milli-robots are emerging as key components in soft robotics and smart materials.
These microscale robots offer unique capabilities for specialized applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the potential of conductive polymer-based soft milli-robots for vacuum applications.
To characterize polypyrrole-based actuators and control their movement.
To demonstrate the feasibility of complex milli-robot designs for microscale tasks.

Main Methods:

Characterization of a trilayer polypyrrole actuator within a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Closed-loop control of cantilever tip positioning.
Modeling and fabrication of an S-shaped soft milli-robot using a hybrid multi-physics and kinematic model.
Laser machining for fabrication and tip displacement characterization.

Main Results:

Polypyrrole-based actuators showed stable performance under varying voltages over extended periods.
Precise tip positioning control was achieved using a closed-loop system.
The fabricated S-shaped milli-robot demonstrated functional tip displacement, validating the hybrid model.

Conclusions:

Polypyrrole-based soft milli-robots exhibit significant potential as high-performance microscale devices.
These robots are suitable for demanding environments like vacuum applications.
Potential applications include SEM micro-manipulation and biomedical interventions.