KIKUCHI Lab

Chiba Institute of Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering

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[KIKUCHI Labratry] >> Research >> Gel Actuator: Gel Robots

Gel Actuator: Gel Robots

Development of a cm-scale robot such as an insect-inspired robot requres a small and light weight actuator less than almost 1 g. However, since a conventional motor system consists of a motor, gear, driver, and battery, it is heavy and difficult to use for an insect-scale robot. From this point of view, we develop a mm- and mg-scale actuator using a self-oscillation gel. This gel repeats swelling and deswelling motion by the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. Additionally, the gel has characteristics:

(1) even the mm-scale (mg-scale) body reacts and funtions.
(2) the shape is flexible. It is easy to fabricate.
(3) the reaction (driving) time is long, i.e., several hours.

In this study, using this gel, we translate this self-oscillating motion to the bending moron and develop an on-water locomotion gel robot, an under-water locomotion robot, and a wall climbing robot.

Related Papers
.Yusuke Hara, Mami Saiki, Koki Kikuchi, et al.: A Meniscus-Climbing Gel Robot, Chemistry Letters, (2014).


© K.Kikuchi <Kikuchi Laboratory> - Since April 2004