840 蠕動運動ロボットの開発(G15-3 生物模倣型移動ロボット,G15 ロボティクス・メカトロニクス)

Abstract

This research aims at developing a peristaltic motion robot like earthworm. As an actuator, we used the population muscles of the metal, which is a kind of a shape memory alloy, called BioMetal. BioMetal is a thin fiber-like metal actuator that acts like a muscle. Although soft and pliable like a nylon thread under normal conditions, it becomes stiff like a piano wire and sharply contracts when a current is fed through it. If the passage of current is stopped, it will soften and extend to its original length. However, its length variation is so small (4.5% of its total length) that we made expansion mechanisms like a pantograph. Finally, our robot realized a motion like earthworm by connecting units and controlling timing by the microcomputer.