Agile cheetah-like robot, miniaturized, traverses intricate labyrinths with ease

In a groundbreaking development, a team of engineers from the University of California, Berkeley, have created an insect-scale robot that can navigate complex terrain and swiftly avoid obstacles. The research, published in the journal Science Robotics, was led by senior author Lin and co-authors from Tsinghua University in China, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Carnegie Mellon University, and UC Berkeley.

The robot, constructed from a thin, layered material that bends and contracts when an electric voltage is applied, boasts a unique feature - its ability to survive being stepped on by a 120-pound human due to its simple design. To enhance its control, the new study has added two electrostatic footpads, enabling operators to direct its trajectory and make turns with a centripetal acceleration that exceeds that of most insects.

These two footpads allow the robot to make sharp turns and navigate Lego mazes while carrying a small gas sensor and avoiding falling debris. The untethered version of the robot can operate on battery power for up to 19 minutes and 31 meters while carrying a gas sensor, demonstrating its versatility and efficiency.

Small, robust robots like this could be ideal for conducting search and rescue operations or investigating hazardous situations, such as scoping out potential gas leaks. The research is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, the Shenzhen Fundamental Research Funds, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and a Start Research Grant from the University of Macau.

In a 2019 paper, the research team demonstrated that the robot can scurry across a flat surface at a rate of 20 body lengths per second, or about 1.5 miles per hour. Additional research news about the robot can be found at this link.

One of the challenges in making smaller scale robots is maintaining the power and control of larger robots while keeping the weight manageable. The robot requires very little power, allowing it to carry sensors and electronics while also carrying a battery. The paper describing the robot was published online this week, with the DOI for the paper being 10.1126/scirobotics.abe7906. However, the name of the first author of the robot developed at the University of California, Berkeley, is currently unavailable.

Agile cheetah-like robot, miniaturized, traverses intricate labyrinths with ease