Study on insect-inspired robots with micro functional surfaaces

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Two kinds of insect-inspired miniatrue robots with micro- and nano-functional surfaces have been studied. One is a wall-climbing robot based on adhesive mechanism of ants. Adhesive pads made of glass and PDMS were fabricated using MEMS processes and adhesive properties were investigated. Then, a hexapod robot with glass and PDMS pads was developed. The robot successfully walked on vertical and inverted glass surfaces. The other robot is water strider robot that is able to stay and move on the surface of water using surface tension force. Various kinds of supporting legs with hydrophobic microstructures were developed utilizing MEMS techniques. Lift, pull-off and thrust forces of these legs on the surface of water were investigated experimentally. Then, two kinds of autonomous water strider robots with hydrophobic legs were developed. Actuation utilizing resonant vibration and "origami structure" that is assembled by folding a flat plate were proposed. The robots successfully moved forward and also made left/right turns on the surface of water.