7 accepted papers
The ability for small-scale robots to move along directed pathways of locomotion is necessary in swarm and collective systems for navigation, coordination, and task execution, particularly. In this work, we introduce a minimal vibratory robot capable of directional control using only a single eccent
The Buffalo Byte is a small, highly mobile and autonomous millirobot platform that can move on non-smooth, natural terrain. Each Buffalo Byte has two silicone treads, with compliant spines that increase traction forces. The silicone treads are driven independently by small DC motors. An individual r
Springtails are tiny arthropods that crawl and jump. They jump by temporarily storing elastic energy in resilin elastic cuticular structures and releasing that energy to accelerate a tail, called a furca, propelling them in the air. This paper presents an autonomous, springtail-inspired microrobot t…
This work demonstrates 3D printed soft actuators with complex shapes and remote actuation using an external magnetic field. Instead of embedding magnetic particles in a polymeric matrix, we fabricated a novel ferrofluid-based actuator, in which the fluid can be moved to different locations in the ac…
Sensors to measure quadcopter ground effect are often relatively large, heavy, and require significant power, which restricts their applicability when it comes to small quadcopters and other aircraft that require lightweight and non-obstructive solutions. This paper presents the design of an elastom…
This paper describes an intuitive method for the design and fabrication of small-scale robots with multi-material compliant mechanisms in 3D. The rigid components are 3D printed, and flexures are inserted into the rigid components, creating the final mechanism. The assembled mechanisms are robust, r…
This work describes a method to study terrestrial robot locomotion at small scales (robot mass <; 2 g) and is inspired by incredible feats of locomotion by natural organisms like insects at these same scales. 3-D printing was used to fabricate lightweight robots and magnets were embedded in the robo