Development of a Microrobot Performing High-Power Needed Tasks in Narrow Space

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26289025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Design engineering/Machine functional elements/Tribology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yoshida Kazuhiro 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 教授 (00220632)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 金 俊完 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 准教授 (40401517) ; 嚴 祥仁 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 助教 (20551576) ; 横田 眞一 東京工業大学, 精密工学研究所, 教授 (10092579)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロマシン / 先端機能デバイス / マイクロロボット / ER（電気粘性）流体 / 交流圧力 / MEMS / ソフトロボット / アクチュエータ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For a microrobot performing high-power needed tasks in narrow space in rubble at disaster sites, small diameter pipes in chemical plants, etc., a multiple ER microfinger system using an alternating pressure source was expanded, which rectifies alternating flow of electro-rheological (ER) fluid by its viscosity change due to the synchronously applied electric field. First, a 1.6 mm long ER microfinger was developed using MEMS technologies. Second, a 1.9 mm long two-DOF PDMS finger part was fabricated and characterized pneumatically. Third, a micro alternating pressure source with 3.3 mm in diameter was fabricated using piezoelectric bimorph and its bandwidth of 200 Hz was clarified. Finally, a two-DOF ER microfinger system was fabricated on a chip.

Free Research Field

機械工学