MEMS Microrobot with Pulse-Type Hardware Neural Networks Integrated Circuit

Abstract

Hexapod locomotive Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) microrobot with Pulse-type Hardware Neural Networks (P-HNN) locomotion controlling system is presented in this chapter. MEMS microrobot is less than 5 mm width, length, and height in size. MEMS microrobot is made from a silicon wafer fabricated by micro fabrication technology to realize the small size mechanical components. The mechanical components of MEMS microrobot consists of body frames, legs, link mechanisms, and small size actuators. In addition, MEMS microrobot has a biologically inspired locomotion controlling system, which is the small size electrical components realized by P-HNN. P-HNN generates the driving pulses for actuators of the MEMS microrobot using pulse waveform such as biological neural networks. The MEMS microrobot emulates the locomotion method and the neural networks of an insect with small size actuator, link mechanisms, and P-HNN. As a result, MEMS microrobot performs hexapod locomotion using the driving pulses generated by P-HNN.