Efficient & Agile Locomotion in Microrobots

Biological creatures like lizards, cockroaches can not only move efficiently but also with great agility. Implementation of the same characteristics in micro-robots requires a trade-off.

Locomotion movements are often periodic (flapping wings, running gaits), and therefore locomotion gaits are generated using Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). Taking benefit of this periodic nature of locomotion, we can design microrobots with elastic elements and structures to store energy and recover it during the gait. This way we can greatly improve the power efficiency of milli-scale robots. So, for higher efficiencies, actuation and power transmission through resonant systems could be beneficial. And resonance requires actuation at a single frequency.

Agility, in contrast, requires a wide range of frequency of actuation to change gaits and change the direction of motion quickly.

Thus, efficiency and agility require conflicting modes of actuation: resonance for higher efficiency favors actuation at a single frequency and agility favors actuation across a wide range of frequencies.

Gravish Lab at UCSD is working towards the development of novel mechanisms to enable micro-robots with efficient as well as agile locomotion capabilities.