A 25 MG magnetically actuated microrobot walking at > 5 body lengths/sec

Abstract

This paper presents the first demonstration of an untethered legged microrobot walking at speeds greater than 5 body lengths/second. This work integrates contributions in multi-material robot leg design and microfabrication as well as high power actuation using an external magnetic field. The resulting 25 mg, 4 mm × 4 mm × 5 mm hexapedal robot has been measured walking at speeds in excess of 20 mm/sec, reaching a top speed of 25.5 mm/sec (6.4 body lengths/sec) with a calculated mechanical power to drive the legs of 0.51 mW.