An Amphibious Fully‐Soft Centimeter‐Scale Miniature Crawling Robot Powered by Electrohydraulic Fluid Kinetic Energy

• Published in: Advanced science 2024-04, Vol.11 (14), p.e2308033-n/a
• Main Authors: Xiong, Quan, Zhou, Xuanyi, Li, Dannuo, Ambrose, Jonathan William, Yeow, Raye Chen‐Hua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesives; amphibious robots; Bladder; Design; design optimization; Electrodes; electrohydraulic actuators; Energy; Friction; Jumping; Motion pictures; reconfigurable robots; Robots; Skin; soft crawling robots, underwater actuators; Temperature
• ISSN: 2198-3844; 2198-3844
• DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308033

Miniature locomotion robots with the ability to navigate confined environments show great promise for a wide range of tasks, including search and rescue operations. Soft miniature locomotion robots, as a burgeoning field, have attracted significant research interest due to their exceptional terrain adaptability and safety features. Here, a fully‐soft centimeter‐scale miniature crawling robot directly powered by fluid kinetic energy generated by an electrohydraulic actuator is introduced. Through optimization of the operating voltage and design parameters, the average crawling velocity of the robot is dramatically enhanced, reaching 16 mm s−1. The optimized robot weighs 6.3 g and measures 5 cm in length, 5 cm in width, and 6 mm in height. By combining two robots in parallel, the robot can achieve a turning rate of ≈3° s−1. Additionally, by reconfiguring the distribution of electrodes in the electrohydraulic actuator, the robot can achieve 2 degrees‐of‐freedom translational motion, improving its maneuverability in narrow spaces. Finally, the use of a soft water‐proof skin is demonstrated for underwater locomotion and actuation. In comparison with other soft miniature crawling robots, this robot with full softness can achieve relatively high crawling velocity as well as increased robustness and recovery. This paper presents a breakthrough in miniature crawling robots designed for confined environments, particularly beneficial for search and rescue. The fully‐soft centimeter‐scale robot, powered by fluid‐kinetic‐energy, achieves a remarkable crawling velocity of 16 mm s−1. The robot's soft, water‐proof skin further enables underwater locomotion, distinguishing it for its high crawling speed, robustness, and recovery compared to other soft miniature crawling robots.