Affiliations: Graduate School of Engineering, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, 761-0396 Japan | Faculty of Engineering, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, Japan | Harbin Engineering University, People's Republic of China | Kansai Research Institute, AIST, 1-8-31 Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan
Note: [] Corresponding Author: W. Zhang, Graduate School of Engineering, Kagawa University, 2217-20, Hayashi-cho, Takamatsu 761-0396, Japan. Tel: +81-87-864-2356; Fax: +81-87-864-2369; Email: [email protected]
Abstract: Microrobots have powerful applications in biomedical and naval fields. They should have a compact structure, be easy to manufacture, have efficient locomotion, be driven by low voltage and have a simple control system. To meet these purposes, inspired by the leg of stick insects, we designed a novel type of microrobot with biomimetic locomotion with 1-DOF (degree of freedom) legs. The locomotion includes two ionic conducting polymer film (ICPF) actuators to realize the 2-DOF motion. We developed several microrobots with this locomotion. Firstly, we review a microrobot, named Walker-1, with 1-DOF motion. And then a new microrobot, named Walker-2, utilizing six ICPF actuators, with 3-DOF motion is introduced. It is 47 mm in diameter and 8 mm in height (in static state). It has 0.61 g of dried weight. We compared the two microrobot prototypes, and the result shows that Walker-2 has some advantages, such as more flexible moving motion, good balance, less water resistance, more load-carrying ability and so on. We also compared it with some insect-inspired microrobots and some microrobots with 1-DOF legs, and the result shows that a microrobot with this novel type of locomotion has some advantages. Its structure has fewer actuators and joints, a simpler control system and is compact. The ICPF actuator decides that it can be driven by low voltage (less than 5 V) and move in water. A microrobot with this locomotion has powerful applications in biomedical and naval fields.