Miniature Amphibious Robot Actuated by Rigid-Flexible Hybrid Vibration Modules

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Amphibious robots offer versatile environmental compatibility for diverse tasks.
• Existing designs often suffer from complex, bulky structures due to multi-locomotion systems and transmission mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a miniature amphibious robot with a simplified locomotion mechanism.
• To achieve untethered, high-speed movement in both terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Main Methods:

• A novel vibration-driven locomotion mechanism was designed using unique rigid-flexible hybrid modules (RFH-modules).
• Each RFH-module integrates a soft foot for friction-based ground locomotion and a flexible fin for vibration-induced flow-based swimming.
• The robot operates untethered, powered by an eccentric motor generating vibrations.

Main Results:

• The robot achieved a compact size (75 × 95 × 21 mm³) and light weight (35 g) due to the absence of transmission mechanisms and joints.
• Maximum speeds recorded were 815 mm/s on ground and 171 mm/s on water.
• The vibration-driven locomotion enabled efficient movement across different environments.

Conclusions:

• The developed miniature amphibious robot demonstrates a simplified, compact structure and high-speed locomotion capabilities.
• The RFH-modules and vibration-driven mechanism offer significant advantages for applications in constrained amphibious settings.