Researching the cooperative operation and functional expansion of multiple minirobot assemblies has the potential to bring about significant advancements in the practical applications of minirobots.In this study,we pr...Researching the cooperative operation and functional expansion of multiple minirobot assemblies has the potential to bring about significant advancements in the practical applications of minirobots.In this study,we present a novel assembly sys-tem comprised of arc-shaped NdFeB magnetic minirobots.These minirobots can be individually utilized as assembly units,allowing for function expansion and comprehensive capability enhancement.We fabricate four Semicircular Arc Magnetic Minirobots(SAMM)arranged in different configurations and analyze their force and motion characteristics.Furthermore,by using this unit as a base,various expansion structures such as latches,petals,and rings can be assembled through reason-able combinations.We define the comprehensive reinforcement interval by comparatively analyzing changes in the unit's motion characteristics and operational capabilities.Precise motion manipulation is employed to verify the rationality of the basic unit structure and the feasibility of the assembly scheme.Our proposed self-assembly scheme for magnetic minirobots exhibits great potential and may be used as a paradigm for future research on expanding the functionality of minirobots.展开更多
Underwater minirobots have attracted significant interest due to their value in complex application scenarios.Typical underwater minirobots are driven mainly by a soft or rigid actuator.However,soft actuation is curre...Underwater minirobots have attracted significant interest due to their value in complex application scenarios.Typical underwater minirobots are driven mainly by a soft or rigid actuator.However,soft actuation is currently facing challenges,including inadequate motional control accuracy and the lack of a continuous and steady driving force,while conventional rigid actuation has limited actuation efficiency,environmental adaptability,and motional flexibility,which severely limits the accomplishment of complicated underwater tasks.In this study,we developed underwater minirobots actuated by a hybrid driving method(HDM)that combines combustion-based actuators and propeller thrusters to achieve accurate,fast,and flexible underwater locomotion performance.Underwater experiments were conducted to investigate the kinematic performance of the minirobots with respect to the motion modes of rising,drifting,and hovering.Numerical models were used to investigate the kinematic characteristics of the minirobots,and theoretical models developed to unveil the mechanical principle that governs the driving process.Satisfactory agreement was obtained from comarisons of the experimental,numerical,and theoretical results.Finally,the HDM was compared with selected hybrid driving technologies in terms of acceleration and response time.The comparison showed that the minirobots based on HDM were generally superior in transient actuation ability and reliability.展开更多
基金financial support through National Natural Science Foundation of China(Project No.62273289)The Youth Innovation Science and Technology Support Program of Shandong Province(Project No.2022KJ274)Graduate Innovation Foundation of Yantai University,GIFYTU.
文摘Researching the cooperative operation and functional expansion of multiple minirobot assemblies has the potential to bring about significant advancements in the practical applications of minirobots.In this study,we present a novel assembly sys-tem comprised of arc-shaped NdFeB magnetic minirobots.These minirobots can be individually utilized as assembly units,allowing for function expansion and comprehensive capability enhancement.We fabricate four Semicircular Arc Magnetic Minirobots(SAMM)arranged in different configurations and analyze their force and motion characteristics.Furthermore,by using this unit as a base,various expansion structures such as latches,petals,and rings can be assembled through reason-able combinations.We define the comprehensive reinforcement interval by comparatively analyzing changes in the unit's motion characteristics and operational capabilities.Precise motion manipulation is employed to verify the rationality of the basic unit structure and the feasibility of the assembly scheme.Our proposed self-assembly scheme for magnetic minirobots exhibits great potential and may be used as a paradigm for future research on expanding the functionality of minirobots.
基金supported by the Key Research and Development Plan of Zhejiang Province,China(No.2021C03181)the Startup Fund of the Hundred Talents Program at the Zhejiang University,Chinathe China Scholarship Council(No.202006320349)。
文摘Underwater minirobots have attracted significant interest due to their value in complex application scenarios.Typical underwater minirobots are driven mainly by a soft or rigid actuator.However,soft actuation is currently facing challenges,including inadequate motional control accuracy and the lack of a continuous and steady driving force,while conventional rigid actuation has limited actuation efficiency,environmental adaptability,and motional flexibility,which severely limits the accomplishment of complicated underwater tasks.In this study,we developed underwater minirobots actuated by a hybrid driving method(HDM)that combines combustion-based actuators and propeller thrusters to achieve accurate,fast,and flexible underwater locomotion performance.Underwater experiments were conducted to investigate the kinematic performance of the minirobots with respect to the motion modes of rising,drifting,and hovering.Numerical models were used to investigate the kinematic characteristics of the minirobots,and theoretical models developed to unveil the mechanical principle that governs the driving process.Satisfactory agreement was obtained from comarisons of the experimental,numerical,and theoretical results.Finally,the HDM was compared with selected hybrid driving technologies in terms of acceleration and response time.The comparison showed that the minirobots based on HDM were generally superior in transient actuation ability and reliability.
