Biomimetic Millisystems Lab


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 The goal of the Biomimetic Millisystems Lab is to harness features of animal manipulation, locomotion, sensing, actuation, mechanics, dynamics, and control strategies to radically improve millirobot capabilities. Research in the lab ranges from fundamental understanding of mechanical principles to novel fabrication techniques to system integration of autonomous millirobots. The lab works closely with biologists to develop models of function which can be tested on engineered and natural systems. The lab's current research is centered on fly-size flapping flight, and all-terrain crawling using nanostructured adhesives.


NEWS
Australia Broadcast Corp feature on work in Polypedal and Biomimetic Millisystem Labs (May 2009) Catalyst
 big roach in hand
Directional Adhesion of Angled Microfibers (Nov. 2008)
Angled polypropylene microfibers show strong directional adhesion effects, with shear strength in direction of fibers 45 times larger than sliding against fiber directions. A 1 sq. cm. patch supported a load of 450 grams in shear. Directional adhesion of gecko inspired angled microfiber arrays, Applied Physics Letters, 2008.		 angled fibers
RoACH:An Autonomous 2.4 gram hexapod robot (Sep. 2008)
A new 2.4 gram crawling robot was created which uses  laser machined glass fiber to create 57 flexure joints. The robot has on board power and electronics, and a top speed of 3 cm/sec (~ 1 body length per second).

 		crawler and quarter
Self-Cleaning Gecko Adhesive (Sep. 2008)
First synthetic gecko adhesive which cleans itself during use, as the natural gecko does. After contamination by microspheres, the microfiber array loses all adhesion strength. After repeated contacts with clean glass, the microspheres are shed, and the fibers recover 30% of their original adhesion. The fibers have a non-adhesive default state, which encourages particle removal during contact.
Contact Self-Cleaning of Synthetic Gecko Adhesive, Langmuir 2008		 self cleaning of microspheres
Current Research Projects (2009)
Biologically Inspired Synthetic Gecko Adhesives
Micro and nanofiber structures are designed to provide high friction and adhesive forces through mechanical control of surface interactions.
Ambulating Robots
The goal of this work is to develop high performance ambulating milli-robots using minimal actuation and passive stabilization mechanisms, combined with onboard high level control.
 crawler and quarter
Ornithopter Project

Bioinspired sensors and control strategies are being developed for coordinated flight of multiple ornithopters.
 vamp Micromechanical Flying Insect
The goal of this project is to develop an autonomous 0.1 gram flying robot using insect-inspired wing kinematics. 
 mfi + dime
Millirobot Rapid Prototyping
We are developing a low cost (<$1000)) desktop factory which will allow users to build millirobots from a kit of components.		 piezo crawler Folding Prototyping of Meso- and Milli- Robots
Using laser cutting of composite materials, we rapidly prototype small scale robots using flexure technology. Example structures with dozens of joints have been constructed.		 Rapidly prototyped cardboard crawler


RECENT RESULTS
Fast Prototyping for Folded Millirobots (Apr. 2008)
By using posterboard, laser cutting, and lamination processes,  multi-jointed robots can be rapidly prototyped in less than 2 hours. An example 2X scale crawler model has 57 flexure joints and can be driven using shape memory alloy actuation.
Hoover ICRA 2008     Fab Process Movie   Movie of crawler		 Rapidly prototyped cardboard crawler
Directional Gecko Adhesive (Jan. 2008)
First easy attach, easy release, and directional synthetic gecko adhesive using hard polymer microfibers. Microfiber array using 42 million polypropylene microfibers per square centimeter. Patches can support 9 N/sq.cm. in estimated contact region with preload of just 0.1N/sq.cm.
Sliding-induced adhesion of stiff polymer, Interface 2008		 Directional gecko adhesive
High Lift with 270 Hz Wing Beat (Oct. 2007)
By increasing wing beat frequency from 170 Hz to 270 Hz, the lift force generated by a single wing increased from 500 uN to 1400 uN, more than 2X the lift required for the final 100 mg MFI to hover.
Steltz et al IROS 2007		 MFI high speed wing motion
High Power Density Bimorph Actuator (Oct. 2007)
Dynamometer testing  shows energy delivery of 19 uJ per cycle from a 10 mg PZT bimorph actuator, with power delivery of > 450 W/kg at 270 Hz. (By comparison, the smallest motor available at 70 mg has power density < 100 W/kg).
Steltz&Fearing, IROS 2007 		piezo bimorph

Affiliations

RObotics Lab logo COINS CIBER Polypedal Lab