4 research outputs found
Design of CLARI: A miniature modular origami passive shape-morphing robot
Miniature robots provide unprecedented access to confined environments and
show promising potential for novel applications such as search-and-rescue and
high-value asset inspection. The capability of body deformation further
enhances the reachability of these small robots in complex cluttered terrains
similar to those of insects and soft arthropods. Motivated by this concept, we
present CLARI, an insect-scale 2.59g quadrupedal robot capable of body
deformation with tethered electrical connections for power and control and
manufactured using laminate fabrication and assembled using origami pop-up
techniques. In order to enable locomotion in multiple shape configurations, we
designed a novel body architecture comprising of modular, actuated leg
mechanisms. Overall, CLARI has eight independently actuated degrees of freedom
(two per modular leg unit) driven by custom piezoelectric actuators, making it
mechanically dextrous. We characterize open-loop robot locomotion at multiple
stride frequencies (1-10Hz) using multiple gaits (trot, walk, etc.) in three
different fixed body shapes (long, symmetric, wide) and illustrate the robot's
capabilities. Finally, we demonstrate preliminary results of CLARI locomoting
with a compliant body in open terrain and through a laterally constrained gap,
a novel capability for legged robots. Our results represent the first step
towards achieving effective cluttered terrain navigation with adaptable
compliant robots in real-world environments
Femtosecond laser fabricated nitinol living hinges for millimeter-sized robots
Nitinol is a smart material that can be used as an actuator, a sensor, or a
structural element, and has the potential to significantly enhance the
capabilities of microrobots. Femtosecond laser technology can be used to
process nitinol while avoiding heat-affected zones (HAZ), thus retaining
superelastic properties. In this work, we manufacture living hinges of
arbitrary cross-sections from nitinol using a femtosecond laser micromachining
process. We first determined the laser cutting parameters, 4.1 Jcm^-2 fluence
with 5 passes for 5 um ablation, by varying laser power level and number of
passes. Next, we modeled the hinges using an analytical model as well as
creating an Abaqus finite element method, and showed the accuracy of the models
by comparing them to the torque produced by eight different hinges, four with a
rectangular cross-section and four with an arc cross-section. Finally, we
manufactured three prototype miniature devices to illustrate the usefulness of
these nitinol hinges: a sample spherical 5-bar mechanism, a sarrus linkage, and
a piezoelectric actuated robotic wing mechanism.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, submitted to IEEE RA-
Design of CLARI: A Miniature Modular Origami Passive ShapeâMorphing Robot
Miniature robots provide unprecedented access to confined environments and show potential for applications such as searchâandârescue and highâvalue asset inspection. The capability of body deformation further enhances the reachability of these small robots in cluttered terrains similar to those of insects and soft arthropods. Motivated by this concept, compliant legged articulated robotic insect (CLARI), an insectâscale 2.59âg quadrupedal robot capable of body deformation, is presented. The robot, currently, with tethered electrical connections for power and control is manufactured using laminate fabrication and assembled using origami popâup techniques. To enable locomotion in multiple shape configurations, a novel body architecture comprising modular, actuated leg mechanisms, is designed. CLARI has eight independently actuated degrees of freedom driven by custom piezoelectric actuators, making it mechanically dextrous. Herein, openâloop robot locomotion at multiple stride frequencies (1â10âHz) is characterized using multiple gaits (trot, walk, etc.) in three different fixed body shapes (long, symmetric, wide) and the robot's capabilities are illustrated. Finally, preliminary results of CLARI locomoting with a compliant body in open terrain and through a laterally constrained gap, a novel capability for legged robots, is demonstrated. These results represent the first step toward achieving effective cluttered terrain navigation with adaptable compliant robots in realâworld environments
Rapid Fabrication of Low-Cost Thermal Bubble-Driven Micro-Pumps
Thermal bubble-driven micro-pumps are an upcoming actuation technology that can be directly integrated into micro/mesofluidic channels to displace fluid without any moving parts. These pumps consist of high power micro-resistors, which we term thermal micro-pump (TMP) resistors, that locally boil fluid at the resistor surface in microseconds creating a vapor bubble to perform mechanical work. Conventional fabrication approaches of thermal bubble-driven micro-pumps and associated microfluidics have utilized semiconductor micro-fabrication techniques requiring expensive tooling with long turn around times on the order of weeks to months. In this study, we present a low-cost approach to rapidly fabricate and test thermal bubble-driven micro-pumps with associated microfluidics utilizing commercial substrates (indium tin oxide, ITO, and fluorine doped tin oxide, FTO, coated glass) and tooling (laser cutter). The presented fabrication approach greatly reduces the turn around time from weeks/months for conventional micro-fabrication to a matter of hours/days allowing acceleration of thermal bubble-driven micro-pump research and development (R&D) learning cycles