Tunable, Flexible, and Resilient Robots Driven by an Electrostatic Actuator

Abstract

Robustness, deformability, maneuverability, and ease of fabrication are among the most desirable features of soft robots that can adapt to various working environments and complex terrains. Herein, polymeric thin‐film‐based flexible robots are designed, prototyped, and examined that use mechanical instability and electrostatic force actuation for locomotion. An electrostatic actuator is first developed using a buckled beam that can deform by up to 68% of its height under an applied voltage. A centimeter‐scale robotic bug is then designed that shows superb flexibility, adaptability, and maneuverability by incorporating origami structural elements. For instance, the robotic bug can be completely smashed and still recover its mobility, walk on various terrains, slopes (up to 30°) and narrow spaces, overcome hurdles, make turns, and even move backward with a crawling (linear) and turning (rotation) speed up to 40 mm s−1 and ≈45° s−1, respectively. Such remarkable characteristics are controlled by a set of parameters such as the amplitude and frequency of the input voltage and/or the origami geometries. The facile and tunable design and the actuation principle can potentially enable ample opportunities for the development of the next‐generation soft robotics.

Keywords

• electrostatic actuators
• flexible robots
• origami structural elements
• soft robotics