Abstract

Amphibious robots can undertake various tasks in terrestrial and aquatic environments for their superior environmental compatibility. However, the existing amphibious robots usually utilize multi‐locomotion systems with transmission mechanisms, leading to complex and bulky structures. Here, a miniature amphibious robot based on vibration‐driven locomotion mechanism is developed. The robot has two unique rigid‐flexible hybrid modules (RFH‐modules), in which a soft foot and a flexible fin are arranged on a rigid leg to conduct vibrations from an eccentric motor to the environment. Then, it can run on ground with the soft foot adopting the friction locomotion mechanism and swim on water with the flexible fin utilizing the vibration‐induced flow mechanism. The robot is untethered with a compact size of 75 × 95 × 21 mm3 and a small weight of 35 g owing to no transmission mechanism or joints. It realizes the maximum speed of 815 mm s–1 on ground and 171 mm s–1 on water. The robot, actuated by the RFH‐modules based on vibration‐driven locomotion mechanism, exhibits the merits of miniature structure and fast movements, indicating its great potential for applications in narrow amphibious environments.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.