Cricket-based robots

Author

Birch, Matthew C. ; Quinn, Roger D. ; Hahm, Geon ; Phillips, Stephen M. ; Drennan, Barry T. ; Fife, Andrew J. ; Beer, Randall D. ; Yu, Xinyu ; Garverick, Steven L. ; Laksanacharoen, Sathaporn ; Pollack, Alan J. ; Ritzmann, Roy E.

Author_Institution

Mech. & Aerosp. Eng., Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH, USA

Volume

9

Issue

4

fYear

2002

fDate

12/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

20

Lastpage

30

Abstract

This article describes the development of an autonomous hybrid microrobot that uses legs for propulsion and support of the rear half of the body and a pair of wheels for support of the front half. McKibben artificial muscles actuate the legs, and compressed air is generated by an onboard power plant. Control is also onboard in the form of a PIC microcontroller, from Microchip Technology Inc., that controls the actuators through four three-way valves that are each made up of a pair of microelectromechanical system devices. Its motion resembles that of a cricket.

Keywords

actuators; legged locomotion; microcontrollers; microrobots; pneumatic control equipment; valves; MEMS devices; McKibben artificial muscles; Microchip Technology Inc; PIC microcontroller; autonomous hybrid microrobot; compressed air; cricket-based robots; legs; microelectromechanical system devices; onboard power plant; three-way valves; Actuators; Control systems; Leg; Microcontrollers; Mobile robots; Muscles; Power generation; Propulsion; Valves; Wheels;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Robotics & Automation Magazine, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1070-9932

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MRA.2002.1160068

Filename

1160068