昆虫からヒントを得て、到達困難場所を監視するロボットを開発 Pitt Engineers Create Insect-Inspired Robots That Can Monitor Hard-to-Reach Spots
2022-03-03 ピッツバーグ大学
昆虫は、ほんのわずかな隙間にも入り込み、狭い場所にもぴったりと収まり、厳しい環境下でも生き抜くことができるのです。昆虫にとって立ち入り禁止の空間はそう多くありません。ピッツバーグ大学の研究者たちは、手の届かない場所や人を寄せ付けない環境で作業を行うことができる、虫にヒントを得た小さなロボットを作りました。
M. Ravi Shankar研究室が設計した、虫をモチーフにしたロボット。
<関連情報>
- https://news.engineering.pitt.edu/robot-bugs-that-can-go-just-about-anywhere/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/admt.202100979
分子指令型幾何学的ラッチ型インパルス駆動によるサブグラムスケールモチリティの実現 Molecularly Directed, Geometrically Latched, Impulsive Actuation Powers Sub-Gram Scale Motility
Abstract
Transversely curved composite shells of liquid crystal elastomer and polyethylene terephthalate with innervated electrodes present millisecond-scale actuation with ≈200 mW electrical power inputs at low voltages (≈1 V). The molecular orientation is aligned to direct the thermomechanical work-content to evert the native curvature. When powered, the curved structure initially remains latent and builds up strain energy. Thereafter, the work content is released in an ms-scale impulse. The thin-film actuators are powered against opposing loads to perform up to 10−5 J of work. High speed imaging reveals tip velocities of several 100 mm s−1 with powers approaching 10−4 J s−1. The design eschews bistability. After snap-through, when the power is off, the actuator spontaneously resets to its native state. The actuation profiles are functions of the geometry and the electrical pulse patterns. The latency of actuation is reduced by powering the actuators with pulses that trigger snap-through, allow its reset to the native state, but prevent its cooling to the ambient before subsequent actuation cycles. The actuation is harnessed in sub-gram scale robots, including water-strider mimicking configurations and steerable robots that can navigate on compliant (sand) and hard (slippery) surfaces. A viable template for impulsive actuation using frugal electrical power emerges.
