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Robot bugs unfold like a pop-up book

Researchers have studied insects for many, many years in hopes of learning from nature. One aspect of nature that has been studied in detail is the ability of insects to create high amounts of lift with such small wings. Researchers from Harvard University have developed a new production method that allows for rapid fabrication of robotic insects that pop up much like a children's book.
 
The mass production techniques will allow the robotic insects to be mass-produced by the sheet. The technique can be applied to the fabrication of other electromechanical devices as well. Prototype robotic insects that were developed using the new production technique used 18 layers of carbon fiber, kapton, titanium, brass, ceramic, adhesive sheets that are all laminated together. Once the 18 layers are combined the technique uses laser cutting to create the finished design of the bug.
 
The finished structure has flexible hinges that allow for a three-dimensional product that is 2.4 mm tall and is assembled in one movement just like the child's pop-up book. The construction technique also drew some inspiration from origami.
 
"This takes what is a craft, an artisanal process, and transforms it for automated mass production," says Pratheev Sreetharan (A.B. '06, S.M. '10), who co-developed the technique with J. Peter Whitney. Both are doctoral candidates at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
 
One of the coolest things about this technique is that the researchers are building robotic bees that can actually fly. This technique is also the first that allows the creation of these robotic insects to be automated. The team of researchers says that less than a year ago the techniques used for building these robots were manual.
 
"You'd take a very fine tungsten wire and dip it in a little bit of superglue," explains Sreetharan. "Then, with that tiny ball of glue, you'd go in under a microscope like an arthroscopic surgeon and try to stick it in the right place."
 
"Until recently, the manual assembly process was the state of the art in this field," Sreetharan adds.
 
The team sees more possibilities for this construction method other than making robot insects. The production method is also applicable building other things such as high power switching, optical systems, and other highly integrated electromechanical devices with parts on the micrometer or centimeter scale.
 
"In a larger device, you can take a robot leg, for example, open it up, and just bolt in circuit boards. We're so small that we don't get to do that. I can't put a structural mechanism in here and have it serve no electrical function."

Source: Harvard


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Uses?
By GuinnessKMF on 2/17/2012 11:10:06 AM , Rating: 5
Did I miss it, did you mention what the use of these robotic popup bugs are? Are they just for entertainment, are they replacing the mechanisms in children's books with automated robots?

Is the popup supposed to facilitate jumping (like a cricket) or is this just a hinge that's capable of lifting proportionately heavy weights?

.. seriously, what did I just read?




RE: Uses?
By DEVGRU on 2/17/2012 5:22:17 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Did I miss it, did you mention what the use of these robotic popup bugs are? Are they just for entertainment, are they replacing the mechanisms in children's books with automated robots? Is the popup supposed to facilitate jumping (like a cricket) or is this just a hinge that's capable of lifting proportionately heavy weights? .. seriously, what did I just read?


Srsly. Its not just me then.

My personal TL;DR:
"We built these really small things to pop up. It was kinda hard to do until recently, but we can mass produce them now! And we're building other small things. Because, you know, we can. Or something."


RE: Uses?
By TSS on 2/17/2012 5:57:24 PM , Rating: 3
Maybe the article has been edited since you posted but it seems pretty clear to me (although i'm pretty stoned at the moment, that might explain some things).

As it is now researchers have been able to create robotic insects that can fly and such, but it's all been done by hand. Basically, like creating a swiss watch. What this is about, is they've figured out the way to mass produce them from sheet metal.

Because it's so small, you don't have room for folding like mechanics. Every millimeter has to serve a function. So they've combined the pop up mechanic (which is just fancy words for turning stamped metal into a 3D structure) with the mechanical functions needing to fly, for example, a bee.

On a human scale it would equate to putting a few sheets of metal under a machine and getting a robotic skeleton with joints and servo's in place. You just add the electronics, give it a nice shell and you're done.

The use of this remains debatable. Fleets of electronic insects.... that's just too cool not to find a use for. If for nothing else, then to rule the world!


Hexbugs!
By The Raven on 2/17/2012 10:51:12 AM , Rating: 3
Oh crap...my kid is going to want to add this to his collection. I'm guessing this one will cost a pretty penny.




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