Meet the smallest remote-controlled walking robot ever | Science & Technology News
Engineers have revealed the smallest remote-controlled walking robot ever created – even smaller than a flea.
According to engineers from Northwestern University, USA, the tiny robot crab can “walk, bend, twist, turn and jump”. It could signal the beginning of a new era of microrobots.
The little machine isn’t powered by miniaturized hardware and electronics, but instead a memory-alloy material that transforms when it’s heated.
The robot is shaped like a crab because it makes students excited. Photo: Northwestern University
How do they move?
The researchers used a scanned laser beam to rapidly heat the device at various locations on its body to make them transform and effectively force the robot to move.
One of the tricks the researchers used was to cover the device with a thin layer of glass to force part of the robot’s structure back into its deformed shape after it cooled.
Professor John Rogers, who led the experimental research team, explains: “Because these structures are so small, the cooling rate is very fast. In fact, reducing the size of these robots allows them to run faster. “.
Part of the achievement was in the manufacturing process, which involved bonding flat precursors to slightly stretched rubber – this forced the crabs to take on a 3D shape that resembled a pop-up book.
However, the work is still exploratory and experimental.
Despite having a similar range of motion and size, crab bots are much slower than fleas and have “an average speed of half their body length per second”, according to Professor Yonggang Huang, who led the research. theoretical research.
“This is very difficult to achieve on such a small scale for terrestrial robots,” added Prof Huang.
The tiny robot is small enough to stand on the edge of a coin. Photo: John Rogers / Northwestern University
Created on a whim
“Although the research is exploratory at this time, the researchers believe their technology could bring the field closer to the realization of full-sized robots,” said Northwestern University. microscale can perform practical tasks inside confined spaces.”
Professor Rogers added: “You can imagine microrobots as agents that repair or assemble small structures or machines in industry or as surgical assistants to open blocked arteries. , stopping internal bleeding or removing cancerous tumors – all in minimally invasive procedures.”
The team was able to create small crabs using a pop-up book-style process. Photo: Northwestern University
Millimeter-sized robots resembling inchworms, crickets and beetles have also been created – but Professors Rogers and Huang’s students love peekytoe crabs.
“We can build a walking robot of almost any size or 3D shape,” said Professor Rogers.
“But the students felt inspired and delighted by the sideways movement of the small crabs. It was an innovative idea.”
The study was published in the journal Robotics Science.
