We, Kikuchi Lab., have started research and development of robots in 2001 at the department of Precision Engineering, Chiba Institute of Technology (CIT), then moved to the department of Mechanical Science and Engineering in 2003, and have been part of the department of Advanced Robotics since 2006.
We believe that, in an autonomous mobile robot, harmony of “morphology” (structural system such as shape, scale, and material) and “intelligence” (control system such as relationship between sensor inputs and actuator outputs) is important and new “functions” emerge from interplay between such systems and environment. From this point of view, we are studying various robots for locomotion. Our developed jump robot using vibration climbs up stairs quickly without impact. Our butterfly-style flapping robot with 0.5 g and 10-cm wingspan takes off at the flapping frequency of 10Hz and over 10 Gs. Additionally, taxiing motion of a flying fish and direct takeoff from water surface by a diving beetle are investigated by CFD/FSI analysis.
We are always challenging new robot technologies.
Design: ZenG