Study on Insect Model-Based Robot

这项研究的目的是开发1到10毫米大小的微型机器人。在这项研究中，最显著的特点是将昆虫作为机器人的模型。在传统的机器人技术中，人类和哺乳动物是设计机器人结构和驱动算法的模型。然而，对于小型机器人，应该选择接近大小的昆虫作为模型。昆虫的一个特点是昆虫的身体结构是外骨骼。外骨骼适用于小型结构。此外，外骨骼对小型结构具有良好的驱动特性。在小型机构中，摩擦力比其他力——身体的重量、肌肉的力量等等——都要大，而且机构不会变形。在昆虫身上，不存在产生摩擦力的出口处。本研究参照昆虫的外骨骼，构建了微米大小的结构。硅工艺主要用于微机械加工。将硅膜和聚酰亚胺膜（低弹性材料）组装成外部结构。在这种结构下，成功开发了微型机器人和微型蚊子机器人。这些机器人的大小约为1毫米。在驱动方面，应用了各种新思想。蚂蚁机器人行走时，腿产生共振振动，其能量来源于振动地板。蚊子机器人用磁化的翅膀在交替磁场中跳动。六足机器人也被开发出来。机器人腿的运动是自主产生的，就像昆虫的腿由反射作用驱动一样。昆虫的反射作用由于其简单的特点，将成为今后发展的微型机械的良好驱动模型。

The purpose of this research is to develop 1 to 10 mm sized microrobots. In this reseach, the most remarkable characteristics is that insects are considered as models for robots. In convensional robotics, the human and the mammal are models for designing the robot structure and the actuation algorithm. However, for small sized robots, the near sized insects should be selected as the model. One of characteristics of insects is that the body structure of insects is the external skeleton. External skeleton is suitable for the small sized structure.Moreover, external skeleton has good characteristic for actuation of small sized structure. In the small mechanism, the frictional force becomes greater than other forces --- the weight of body, the power of muscle, etc. --- and the mechanism cannot be deformed. On the insect, there does not exit the part which the friction force is generated. In this research, mu m sized structures were constructed refering the external skeleton of insects. Silicon process is used basically for micromachinning. Silicon film and polyimide film (low elastisity material) are assembled to get the external structure. With this structure, microant robot and micromosquito robot have been developed sucessfully. The size of these robots is about 1mm.For actuation, various new ideas have been applied. An ant robot walks with resonant vibration of legs, energy of which is supplied from vibrating floor. A mosquito robot flys with magnetized wings which beats in the alternative magetic field. A hexapod robot has also been develpoped. The motion of legs of this robot is generated autonomously like legs of insects actuated by reflex action. Reflex action of insects will be good model for actuation of micromachine to be developed in the future because of the simplicity of it.