Microwave energy supply system for in-pipe micromachine

Abstract

An energy supply system utilizing a microwave technique for microrobots in a metal pipe has been developed. The system consists of rectifying circuits, a receiving antenna and Schottky barrier diodes. A 14 GHz microwave signal is rectified into DC electric energy at a high converting efficiency of 52%. We have also developed an in-pipe locomotive robot composed of the system, a piezoelectric bimorph actuator and its locomotive mechanism. It moves in a pipe of 15 mm diameter at 3 mm/s without a power supply wire.