NRI: FND: Light-Powered Microrobots for Future MIcrofactories

该项目的目标是使用聚焦激光作为一种方法，为毫米级微型机器人提供动力和远程控制，这些机器人适用于制造和组装更小的设备。将建造和研究能够在干燥或潮湿环境中工作的多腿光驱动微型机器人群。该项目将为未来的微型工厂铺平道路，使纳米定位和纳米运输设备的生产能够应用于纳米制造和生物技术。微型机器人长期以来一直被设想为在微米和纳米尺度上实现全人类远程呈现的门户，在这些尺度上，传统工具无法用于操纵或组装。该项目的潜在成果包括纳米和生物技术领域前所未有的制造能力，为美国工业带来新的机遇。该项目的研究目标是研究新型高效的基于光的无线能量传输和控制方法，用于微型机器人群体，可以完成精确的纳米级定位和操作任务。该项目将提供基本的新知识，为编程多执行器运动与一个单一的光源，使用机器人肢体的差分响应，以产生多腿步态。该项目将创建新的光-热-动力机器人模型，以及适用于物理机器人间合作的新的学习控制算法。为了验证模型和控制方案，一个独特的硬件基础设施将被原型化和实验证明，以驱动和测试两种类型的光动力微型机器人。第一种类型的光动力微型机器人，称为“微型激光料斗”，是一种无系绳的微型机器人，具有弯曲腿，可以使用单个大直径激光束源在干燥表面上实现受控粘滑爬行。通过改变激光脉冲强度、脉冲频率和占空比等时间参数，实现了对微型激光漏斗步态的控制。第二种类型的光动力微型机器人，称为“微型太阳能一号”，是一种集成的微型机器人，包含太阳能电池，平面微执行器，微组装腿和垂直电子背包。Micro-solar-one由集中的宽光谱白色光供电，能够存储和执行复杂的步态，而代价是更复杂的制造和热管理挑战。

The goal of this project is to use focused laser light as a method for powering and remotely controlling millimeter-sized manufacturing microrobots suitable for fabricating and assembling even smaller devices. Swarms of multi-legged, light-driven microrobots, capable of operation in either dry or wet environments, will be built and studied. This project will pave the way for the microfactories of the future, enabling the production of nanopositioning and nanotransport devices with applications to nanomanufacturing and biotechnology. Microrobots have long been envisioned as a gateway for full human telepresence at the micro- and nanoscales, where conventional tools cannot be used for manipulation or assembly. Potential outcomes of this project include unprecedented manufacturing capabilities in nano- and biotechnology, leading to new opportunities for US industry.The research objective of this project is to study novel and efficient light-based wireless energy transfer and control methods for collectives of microrobots that can accomplish precision nano-scale positioning and manipulation tasks. The project will provide fundamental new knowledge for programming multi-actuator locomotors with a single light source, using differential responses of the robot limbs to generate multi-legged gaits. The project will create new photo-thermo-dynamic robot models, and new learning control algorithms suitable for physical inter-robot cooperation. To validate the models and control schemes, a unique hardware infrastructure will be prototyped and experimentally demonstrated to drive and test two types of light-powered microrobots. The first type of light-powered microrobot, called "Micro-laser-hopper," is an untethered microrobot with flexure legs that can accomplish controlled stick-slip crawling over a dry surface using a single, large diameter laser beam source. Micro-laser-hopper gait is controlled by changing temporal laser parameters, such as intensity, pulse frequency and duty cycle. The second type of light-powered microrobot, called "Micro-solar-one," is an integrated microrobot containing a solar cell, in-plane microactuators, microassembled legs, and a vertical electronic backpack. Micro-solar-one is powered by concentrated, broad spectrum white light, and is able to store and execute complex gaits, at the expense of more complex manufacturing and thermal management challenges.