Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kouhoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
Sensors (Basel). 2022 Oct 20;22(20):8018. doi: 10.3390/s22208018.
Small insects perform agile locomotion, such as running, jumping, and flying. Recently, many robots, inspired by such insect performance, have been developed and are expected to be smaller and more maneuverable than conventional robots. For the development of insect-inspired robots, understanding the mechanical dynamics of the target insect is important. However, evaluating the dynamics via conventional commercialized force sensors is difficult because the exerted force and insect itself are tiny in strength and size. Here, we review force sensor devices, especially fabricated for measuring the tiny forces acting on insects during locomotion. As the force sensor, micro-force plates for measuring the ground reaction force and micro-force probes for measuring the flying force have mainly been developed. In addition, many such sensors have been fabricated via a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) process, due to the process precision and high sensitivity. In this review, we focus on the sensing principle, design guide, fabrication process, and measurement method of each sensor, as well as the technical challenges in each method. Finally, the common process flow of the development of specialized MEMS sensors is briefly discussed.
小型昆虫能够进行灵活的运动，如奔跑、跳跃和飞行。最近，许多受此类昆虫性能启发的机器人被开发出来，它们有望比传统机器人更小、更灵活。为了开发受昆虫启发的机器人，了解目标昆虫的机械动力学特性非常重要。然而，通过传统商业化的力传感器来评估动力学特性是困难的，因为施加的力和昆虫本身在强度和尺寸上都非常微小。在这里，我们回顾了力传感器设备，特别是专门用于测量昆虫在运动过程中所受微小力的力传感器设备。作为力传感器，已经主要开发了用于测量地面反作用力的微力板和用于测量飞行力的微力探头。此外，由于微机电系统（MEMS）工艺的加工精度和高灵敏度，许多此类传感器都是通过 MEMS 工艺制造的。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了每种传感器的传感原理、设计指南、制造工艺和测量方法，以及每种方法中的技术挑战。最后，简要讨论了专用 MEMS 传感器的开发的一般工艺流程。
