{"title":"Micro-hexapod robot with an origami-like SU-8-coated rigid frame","authors":"Kenjiro Sugimoto, Sumito Nagasawa","doi":"10.1017/s0263574724000419","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>In recent years, many microrobots have been developed for search applications using swarms in places where humans cannot enter, such as disaster sites. Hexapod robots are suitable for moving over uneven terrain. In order to use micro-hexapod robots for swarm exploration, it is necessary to reduce the robot’s size while maintaining its rigidity. Herein, we propose a micro-hexapod with an SU-8 rigid frame that can be assembled from a single sheet. By applying the SU-8 coating as a structure to the hexapod and increasing the rigidity, the substrate size can be reduced to within 40 mm × 40 mm and the total length when assembled to approximately 30 mm. This enables the integration of the micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) process into small and inexpensive hexapod robots. In this study, we assembled the hexapod with a rigid frame from a sheet created using the MEMS process and evaluated the leg motion.</p>","PeriodicalId":49593,"journal":{"name":"Robotica","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Robotica","FirstCategoryId":"94","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0263574724000419","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ROBOTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In recent years, many microrobots have been developed for search applications using swarms in places where humans cannot enter, such as disaster sites. Hexapod robots are suitable for moving over uneven terrain. In order to use micro-hexapod robots for swarm exploration, it is necessary to reduce the robot’s size while maintaining its rigidity. Herein, we propose a micro-hexapod with an SU-8 rigid frame that can be assembled from a single sheet. By applying the SU-8 coating as a structure to the hexapod and increasing the rigidity, the substrate size can be reduced to within 40 mm × 40 mm and the total length when assembled to approximately 30 mm. This enables the integration of the micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) process into small and inexpensive hexapod robots. In this study, we assembled the hexapod with a rigid frame from a sheet created using the MEMS process and evaluated the leg motion.
期刊介绍:
Robotica is a forum for the multidisciplinary subject of robotics and encourages developments, applications and research in this important field of automation and robotics with regard to industry, health, education and economic and social aspects of relevance. Coverage includes activities in hostile environments, applications in the service and manufacturing industries, biological robotics, dynamics and kinematics involved in robot design and uses, on-line robots, robot task planning, rehabilitation robotics, sensory perception, software in the widest sense, particularly in respect of programming languages and links with CAD/CAM systems, telerobotics and various other areas. In addition, interest is focused on various Artificial Intelligence topics of theoretical and practical interest.