Sarah Bergbreiter Department of Mechanical Engineering Carnegie Mellon University USA

Can we 3D print tiny robots?

The ability to manufacture microscale sensors and other components for robotic systems has inspired the robotics community for almost 40 years. There have been huge success stories; MEMS inertial sensors have enabled an entire market of low-cost, small-scale UAVs. However, the promise of ant-scale robots has largely failed. Ants and other small insects can move through challenging environments from picnic tables to front lawns, but few small-scale robots have moved outside the lab. This talk will present our progress in the design of small-scale robotic systems that utilize novel 3D printing processes to incorporate materials with widely varying moduli and functionalities to achieve greater complexity in smaller packages. Results include a number of small-scale robotic systems including a 15 mg hexapedal robot that is electrically actuated to move forward, backward, turn, climb stairs, carry loads, and hop as well as tiny and fast robotic systems designed for manipulation.