Development of a novel underwater biomimetic microrobot with two motion attitudes

In the last few years, various microrobots were applied more and more in the fields of biomedical engineering and underwater operation. By having a compact structure, low driving voltage and a simple control system, microrobots could do a variety of underwater missions, especially in limited spaces. To realize the purpose of multifunction of the microrobot aiming at adapting to the complex underwater environment, we proposed a walking biomimetic microrobot which had two kinds of motion attitudes. The microrobot used eleven ICPF (ionic conducting polymer film) actuators for locomotion and missions and two SMA (shape memory alloy) actuators for attitude change. In lying structure, the microrobot could implement stick insect-inspired walking/rotating motions by using eight ICPF legs, fish-like swimming motion by using one ICPF tail fin, horizontal grasping motion by using two ICPF fingers, and floating motion by electrolyzing water. In standing structure, it could implement inchworm-inspired crawling motion along two directions and vertical grasping motion by using inside four legs. Then we developed a prototype of multi-functional biomimetic microrobot and evaluated the walking speed and floating speed experimentally for performance testing.