PECASE: Microrobot Legs for Fast Locomotion over Rough Terrain

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Sarah Bergbreiter, University of Maryland College ParkCAREER: Microrobot Legs for Fast Locomotion over Rough TerrainABSTRACTThe objective of this research is to create microrobot legs that will enable microrobots to walk, and even run, over rough terrain. The approach is to model viscoelastic microrobot legs in a dynamic simulation environment, and to experimentally validate these models using a new microfabrication process that includes viscoelastic materials.Intellectual Merit: The results of this work will lead to the first sub-centimeter robots that can move quickly over complex surfaces, in addition to a wealth of data to enhance our understanding of insect locomotion. Insects like cockroaches use control mechanisms embedded in their legs to prevent them from tipping over at high speeds. These same ideas can be ported to microrobots by using viscoelastic materials for dynamic stability control. Specific innovations will include parameterized models for microrobot legs, fabricated artificial insect legs with tailored compliance and damping, and integration with actuators to test the microrobot legs on different surfaces. Broader Impacts: Microrobots that move through real-world environments at insect-like speeds can search through small cracks in rubble after natural disasters, provide low-cost sensor deployment over civil infrastructure, and engage in stealthy surveillance. In addition, robust, viscoelastic mechanisms similar to these legs can provide breakthroughs in applications like minimally invasive surgery and micromanufacturing. The educational objective of this proposal is to dramatically increase participation in microrobotics research. Currently, researchers who want to work on microrobots need access to multi-million dollar cleanroom facilities. An open-source microrobotics program will be developed using a microrobot prototyping process that does not require cleanroom access.