Simplified Fabrication and Open-Loop Control of an Electromagnetic Insect-Scale Terrestrial Robot
Julie Villamil, Yaochen Li, Jack Long, Michael Karpelson, E. Farrell Helbling
AI summary
Problem
Insect-scale terrestrial robots face significant barriers in manual assembly complexity, high-voltage power demands, and manufacturing reliability, which limit their untethered deployment and scalability.
Approach
The design replaces complex piezoelectric systems with planar electromagnetic voice coil actuators that drive parallelogram linkages, allowing legs to be manufactured via laser-cut lamination with only one manual fold step and controlled via simple open-loop phase signals.
Key results
- 1.9-g untethered quadruped robot (COMT) with simplified laminate fabrication
- Maximum speed of 4.36 body lengths per second at 50 Hz resonance
- Low power consumption of approximately 370 mA total during operation
- Open-loop straight-line and turning control via adjustable leg phasing
Why it matters
This approach lowers manufacturing barriers and power requirements for cm-scale robots, enabling longer untethered missions and paving the way for scalable robotic collectives in confined spaces.
Abstract
Small-scale terrestrial robots have a number of applications where operation in confined spaces is required. Because of their low mass (less than five grams) and small size (less than five centimeters), their mechanical design requires careful analysis of multiple subsystems (e.g., actuation, power, fabrication, and assembly). Planar electromagnetic actuators show linear force-displacement behavior, large displacements, and low-voltage operation. Here, we integrate these actuators into the Cornell Micro Terrestrial Robot (COMT), a 1.9 −g quadrupedal robot that uses a simplified fabrication strategy for the transmissions that takes advantage of the large displace- ment. Each leg is fabricated using laminate-based techniques, but requires only a single manual fold-and-lock step. The robot (BL = 3 cm) achieves speeds up to 4.36 BL/s and consumes approximately 370 mA during operation. These results provide a path towards a untethered terrestrial robots that can navi- gate in confined spaces and enable future collectives through simplified manufacturing strategies.