SimoBot: An Underactuated Miniature Robot Driven by a Single Motor

Zhang, Yifan1; Zhu, Renjie1; Wu, Jianhao1; Wang, Hongqiang1,2,3

2022-07-01

10.1109/TMECH.2022.3189218

IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS   Impact Factor & Quartile

1083-4435

1941-014X

A simple-structured, low-cost miniature robot is highly desired for swarm robotics research. In this article, we designed an underactuated miniature robot using only one motor, named as SimoBot, to save space, cost, weight, and energy consumption. Since it has only one motor but needs to travel on the 2-D ground, the design, moving mechanism, and control are all challenging. We conceived a movement strategy based on the interplaying between the centrifugal force and swinging motion of the robot to generate translation and rotation on the ground and finally follow various arbitrary paths. This robot has only five simple components-a vibration motor, a button cell, a microcontroller board, four-pin legs (one of which is shorter than the others), and sensors. This article built the kinematics and kinetics models and analyzed and optimized the parameters. The prototype weighs only 4.76 g, costs 4.7 dollars, and is 20 mm in diameter and 18 mm in height. It can run as fast as 40 mm/s. Its cost of transportation is only 55, smaller than most miniature robots with onboard power and insects. By modulating voltage polarities on the motor and the periods, we demonstrated the controllability of SimoBot by the movement along a straight line, a circle, an "S" curve, and more arbitrary trajectories.

Robots Force Robot kinematics Friction Legged locomotion Rotors Torque Mechanism design miniature robots swarms underactuated robots

SCI ; EI

English

First ; Corresponding

National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China[51905256] ; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China[2020A1515010955] ; Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality[ZDSYS20200811143601004] ; Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province of China (State Key Laboratory of Robotics)[2021-KF-22-11] ; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)[K19313901]

Automation & Control Systems ; Engineering

Automation & Control Systems ; Engineering, Manufacturing ; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic ; Engineering, Mechanical

WOS:000829074100001

IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC

20223112531252

Costs ; Energy utilization ; Kinematics ; Machine design ; Swarm intelligence

Energy Utilization:525.3 ; Mechanical Design:601 ; Artificial Intelligence:723.4 ; Robotics:731.5 ; Cost and Value Engineering; Industrial Economics:911 ; Mechanics:931.1

ENGINEERING

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Energy Engn, Shenzhen Key Lab Biomimet Robot & Intelligent Sys, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Human Augmentat & Rehabil, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.Southern Marine Sci & Engn Guangdong Lab, Guangzhou 510000, Peoples R China

Zhang, Yifan,Zhu, Renjie,Wu, Jianhao,et al. SimoBot: An Underactuated Miniature Robot Driven by a Single Motor[J]. IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS,2022,PP(99):1-12.

Zhang, Yifan,Zhu, Renjie,Wu, Jianhao,&Wang, Hongqiang.(2022).SimoBot: An Underactuated Miniature Robot Driven by a Single Motor.IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS,PP(99),1-12.

Zhang, Yifan,et al."SimoBot: An Underactuated Miniature Robot Driven by a Single Motor".IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS PP.99(2022):1-12.