IC chip of pulse-type hardware neural networks for hexapod walking MEMS micro robot

Abstract

This paper present the integrated circuit (IC) chip of pulse-type hardware neural networks (P-HNN) which can generate the driving waveform of hexapod walking micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) micro robot. The driving waveform of micro robot is oscillatory waveform of electrical activity such as living organisms. Basic components of the P-HNN are the cell body model and inhibitory synaptic model. The cell body model and inhibitory synaptic model has the same basic features of biological neurons such as threshold, refractory period, spatio-temporal summation characteristics and enables the generation of continuous action potentials. P-HNN was constructed by metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), can be integrated by IC production lines. P-HNN output the driving waveform using synchronization phenomena such as biological neural networks. Four output signal ports were extracted from P-HNN and they were connected to the actuators. The driving pulses can operate the actuators of MEMS micro robot directly. Therefore, P-HNN realized the robot control without using any software programs or A/D converters. The size of the micro robot fabricate by the MEMS technology is 4.0 (mm) × 2.7 (mm) × 2.5 (mm), width, length, height size. The frame of the robot is made of silicon wafer, equipped with the rotary type actuators, the link mechanisms and 6 legs. The MEMS micro robot emulates the hexapod walking method and the neural networks of the insect by the rotary type actuators, link mechanisms and IC chip of P-HNN. As a result, we show that IC chip of P-HNN can control the hexapod walking of fabricated MEMS micro robot, and also switched the direction by inputting the external trigger pulse. The locomotion speed was 26.4 (mm/minutes) when the step width was 0.88 (mm).