Laser actuated shape memory alloy mobile micro-robot: initial results

Abstract

Mobile micro-robots are needed for micro positioning, manipulation or manufacturing small components, or sensing in chemical and biological environments. The design of mobile micro-robots poses challenges in terms of fabrication, actuation and sensing. Current approaches require complex assembly or sophisticated MEMS processes, to obtain actuators with a high energy density. Furthermore, the energy source for locomotion has either to be carried onboard (which by itself poses additional miniaturization challenges) or be remotely located so that the energy is transferred through tethered cables or wirelessly. In this paper, we propose a radically different approach: the micro-robot consists of a single piece of shape memory alloy (SMA) suitably shaped to perform inchworm-like locomotion, and remotely actuated by a laser beam. We report the modeling and design of an SMA inchworm like micro-robot, and the first experimental results.