Xiong Quan, Zhou Xuanyi, Li Dannuo, Ambrose Jonathan William, Yeow Raye Chen-Hua
Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 15 Kent Ridge Cres, Singapore, 119276, Singapore.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 Apr;11(14):e2308033. doi: 10.1002/advs.202308033. Epub 2024 Feb 1.
Miniature locomotion robots with the ability to navigate confined environments show great promise for a wide range of tasks, including search and rescue operations. Soft miniature locomotion robots, as a burgeoning field, have attracted significant research interest due to their exceptional terrain adaptability and safety features. Here, a fully-soft centimeter-scale miniature crawling robot directly powered by fluid kinetic energy generated by an electrohydraulic actuator is introduced. Through optimization of the operating voltage and design parameters, the average crawling velocity of the robot is dramatically enhanced, reaching 16 mm s. The optimized robot weighs 6.3 g and measures 5 cm in length, 5 cm in width, and 6 mm in height. By combining two robots in parallel, the robot can achieve a turning rate of ≈3° s. Additionally, by reconfiguring the distribution of electrodes in the electrohydraulic actuator, the robot can achieve 2 degrees-of-freedom translational motion, improving its maneuverability in narrow spaces. Finally, the use of a soft water-proof skin is demonstrated for underwater locomotion and actuation. In comparison with other soft miniature crawling robots, this robot with full softness can achieve relatively high crawling velocity as well as increased robustness and recovery.
具备在受限环境中导航能力的微型移动机器人在包括搜索和救援行动在内的广泛任务中展现出了巨大潜力。作为一个新兴领域，软质微型移动机器人因其卓越的地形适应性和安全特性而吸引了大量研究关注。在此，介绍一种由电动液压致动器产生的流体动能直接驱动的全软质厘米级微型爬行机器人。通过优化工作电压和设计参数，该机器人的平均爬行速度显著提高，达到了16毫米/秒。优化后的机器人重量为6.3克，长度为5厘米，宽度为5厘米，高度为6毫米。通过将两个机器人并联，该机器人可实现约3°/秒的转弯速率。此外，通过重新配置电动液压致动器中电极的分布，该机器人可实现两自由度平移运动，提高其在狭窄空间中的机动性。最后，展示了使用软质防水外皮进行水下移动和驱动。与其他软质微型爬行机器人相比，这种全软质机器人能够实现相对较高的爬行速度以及更高的鲁棒性和恢复能力。
