Constructing high-performance robotic insects with origami transmission mechanism

Date: 2024/12/05 - 2024/12/05

Academic Seminar: Constructing high-performance robotic insects with origami transmission mechanism

Speaker: Yide Liu, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

Time: 09:00, December 05, 2024 (Beijing Time)

Location: Room 454, JI Long Bin Building

Abstract

Designing robotic insects with high mobility is becoming an essential challenge in the field of robotics research. Among the methods for fabricating the transmission mechanisms of robotic insects, the Smart Composite Microstructure method (SCM) is garnering increasing attention. This method can construct compact and functional miniature origami mechanisms through planarized fabrication and folding assembly processes.

We have identified two limitations in the SCM process: the connectivity in design and the singularity in pop-up assembly. We also demonstrated solutions for these limitations using screw algebra and Grassmann-Cayley algebra, respectively. By overcoming these limitations, we can significantly enhance the performance of the origami transmission mechanisms. We further proposed a series of untethered prototypes, named S2worm and S2worm-G. The S2worm-G weighs 4.71 grams, scales 4.0 cm, achieves a top speed of 75.0 cm/s, and a relative speed of 18.8 body lengths per second. The experimental results proved that the S2worm-G robot is one of the best robotic insects for its size, mass, and mobility.

Biography

Yide Liu is a postdoctoral researcher with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tsinghua University. He received a B.Eng. degree in Mechatronics from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2018 and a Ph.D. degree in Mechanics from Zhejiang University in 2023.

His research interests include robotic insects, micromanipulators, multi-robot systems, and central pattern generators. He has published as the first author in T-RO, RA-L, and IROS. He was nominated as RSS Pioneers in 2023 for his research in robotic insects and assembly robotic systems.