Untethered soft microrobot driven by a single actuator for agile navigations

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Bio-inspired Engineering
• Micro-actuation

Background:

• Cockroaches exhibit exceptional maneuverability and resilience, navigating complex environments and withstanding impacts.
• Replicating these cockroach-like capabilities in untethered microrobots presents significant engineering challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate an untethered microrobot capable of agile locomotion and impact resistance.
• To investigate the use of a single actuator for controlling microrobot movement.

Main Methods:

• A 1-gram, 2-cm microrobot was designed with a single actuator to control leg strokes for directional movement.
• Locomotion capabilities were tested, measuring forward speed and turning speed.
• The robot's resilience was assessed by subjecting it to impact (being stepped on).

Main Results:

• The microrobot achieved a forward speed of 4.8 body lengths per second and a turning speed of 280 degrees per second.
• Demonstrated controllable movement in forward, backward, and diagonal directions using a single actuator.
• The microrobot remained functional after experiencing impact, showcasing its robustness.

Conclusions:

• A single-actuator design can achieve high maneuverability and resilience in untethered microrobots.
• The developed microrobot design principles offer guidance for future resilient and controllable miniaturized robots.
• This research advances bio-inspired robotics, particularly in creating robust micro-scale robots.