Science Daily July 2, 2021
Researchers in Japan used a curved piezoelectric thin film driven at its structural resonant frequency as the main body of an insect-scale soft robot for its fast translational movements, and two electrostatic footpads were used for its swift rotational motions. These two schemes were simultaneously executed during operations through a simple two-wire connection arrangement. They achieved a high relative centripetal acceleration of 28 body length per square second which is better than those of common insects, including the cockroach. In demonstration the robot passed through a 120-centimeter-long track in a maze within 5.6 seconds. The simplified analog motion adjustment technique enables the scale-up construction of a 240-milligram untethered robot. The untethered prototype followed a designated, 27.9-centimeter-long “S”-shaped path in 36.9 seconds. These results validate key performance attributes in achieving both high mobility and agility to emulate living agile insects for the advancements of soft robots. The robot is very fast, quite strong, and requires very little power, allowing it to carry sensors and electronics while also carrying a battery. They could be used for conducting search and rescue operations or investigating other hazardous situations, such as scoping out potential gas leaks…read more. Video TECHNICAL ARTICLE