Crawling-inspired robot utilizing L-shape piezoelectric actuators

Abstract

L-Shape piezoelectric actuators are known to be advantageous due to their simple design, cost-effectiveness, mass-manufacturability, and high torque. In this study, we have utilized the L-shaped piezoelectric actuator to develop a crawling robot, that can potentially find use in the surgical tools, defense and security sector. The robot comprises of four legs represented by four L-shape piezoelectric motors moving at a specific gait. Based on the experiments conducted, the robot was able to carry twice its weight by attaching load to its body and monitoring its locomotion characteristics, achieve speeds of up to 65mm/s. The size of the robot was 22mm × 35mm × 30mm with mass of 11.6 grams and power input of 8mW.