Untethered Flight of a 270 mg Microrobot Powered by Onboard Energy

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关键词: PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATORS;    JELLYFISH;    DRIVEN;    AERODYNAMICS;    ELECTRONICS;    ROTATION;    INSECTS;    TAKEOFF;    FORCE;    ROBOT;   

DOI  :  10.1002/aisy.202200393

来源: SCIE

【 摘 要 】

It is challenging for microrobots to fly using onboard energy due to the relatively heavy power supplies and inefficient actuators that are limited to a small size (mass less than 1000 mg and wingspan less than 100 mm). Inspired by the movement of jellyfish in nature (Physophora hydrostatica), herein, a microscale aerial vehicle FlyJelly is introduced, powered by onboard energy to achieve untethered flight. FlyJelly uses a balloon filled with helium to overcome self-gravity and an actuator powered by electrostatic power to generate thrust. The balloon, heat sealed with two gold-covered Mylar films, weighs 95.56 mg, provides 257.9 mg of buoyancy when filled with helium, and stores 19.457 x 10(-3) J of energy when powered by 2400 V of direct current. The electrostatic actuator is composed of multiflapping units arranged radially and symmetrically, consuming only 0.3370 mW of power but generating a thrust of 0.2271 mN to drive the vehicle for flight. Benefiting from a design of distributed propulsion, FlyJelly is highly reliable and continues to work well even after the actuator is damaged. The milligram-level weight, untethered flight with onboard energy, and high reliability make the prototype suitable for development as a long-term remote exploration and search-and-rescue mission.