Researchers combined soft microactuators with high-energy-density chemical fuel to create an insect-scale quadrupedal robot that is powered by combustion and can outrace, outlift, outflex and outleap its electric-driven competitors.
Cornell researchers combined soft microactuators with high-energy-density chemical fuel to create an insect-scale quadrupedal robot that is powered by combustion and can outrace, outlift, outflex and outleap its electric-driven competitors.
"We thought using a high-energy-density chemical fuel, just like we would put in an automobile, would be one way that we could increase the onboard power and performance of these robots," he said."We're not necessarily advocating for the return of fossil fuels on a large scale, obviously.
"Being powered by combustion allows them to do a lot of things that robots at this scale haven't been able to do at this point," Aubin said."They can navigate really difficult terrains and clear obstacles. It's an incredible jumper for its size. It's also really fast on the ground. All of that is due to the force density and the power density of these fuel-driven actuators.
The researchers envision stringing together even more actuators in parallel arrays so they can produce both very fine and very forceful articulations on the macro scale. The team also plans to continue work on creating an untethered version. That goal will require a shift from a gaseous fuel to a liquid fuel that the robot can carry on board, along with smaller electronics.
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