As robots are miniaturized, they lose their ability to generate large amounts of power. But hydrocarbons can do what batteries cannot.
Smaller than a penny
The microactuators weigh just 325 milligrams and are a quarter of the size of a penny. This has been achieved by offboarding a major part of the machinery required for the actuators' work. Right from the fuel to its mixing with oxygen and the source for the spark for the combustion to occur are all located outside the robot.
Nevertheless, the biggest challenge was to ensure that the actuator did not blow up when the methane was fired. For this, the researchers ensured that a small amount of fuel entered the combustion chamber but also added a fire-resistance elastomer to the design while integrating a flame arrestor. Put together, the soft and tiny actuator is quite robust and can handle 750,000 cycles of operation at 50 Hz, the researchers claim.
By controlling the gas pressure, the researchers have been able to direct the quadruped robot around. Firing both actuators moves the robot in front, while firing only one can help rotate it around. What the team has been working on to improve next is how to slow down the robot. The technology is not limited to small robots alone. The team also wants to further explore if such tiny actuators could be put into aThe research findings were published in the journalInsects perform feats of strength and endurance that belie their small stature. Insect-scale robots—although subject to the same scaling laws—demonstrate reduced performance because existing microactuator technologies are driven by low–energy density power sources and produce small forces and/or displacements.
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