Research / Robot controlTiny, vibration-driven robot developed
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are working on a tiny 3D-printed robot. It uses vibrations from piezo actuators, ultrasound sources or tiny loudspeakers to move around.
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© Georgia Institute of Technology, Allison Carter
The micro-bristle bots are approximately 2 mm long, 1.8 mm wide and 0.8 mm thick and weigh around 5 mg. They consist of a piezoelectric actuator that the researchers have bonded to a polymer body. The actuator generates vibrations and is powered externally, as batteries would not be small enough to fit on the bot. The vibrations can also ...
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