Shifting allometry: combination of macroscopic engineering with microscopic biomimetics allows realization of new robot functions in meso dimension
Conference: ROBOTIK 2012 - 7th German Conference on Robotics
05/21/2012 - 05/22/2012 at Munich, Germany
Proceedings: ROBOTIK 2012
Pages: 6Language: englishTyp: PDF
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Authors:
Fremerey, Max; Kasper, Dominik; Witte, Hartmut (Department of Biomechatronics, Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnologies MacroNano®, University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany)
Gorb, Stanislav; Heepe, Lars (Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, University of Kiel, Germany)
Maempel, Joerg (Department of Biomechatronics, Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnologies MacroNano®, University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany )
Abstract:
Motion in our macroscopic world is ruled by mass-related, volumetric forces, mostly provoked by inertia and gravity. In minor dimensions, surface forces gain growing importance. Downscaling of robots thus offers new opportunities for design. Volumetric forces minimized by light-weight construction combined with maximized forces in the contact area to the environment using micro-scale phenomena allow the realization of new functions in meso scale, which are not accessible by standard macroscopic construction approaches. To illustrate this strategy, we introduce as well an example for the construction of a machine element (an adhesion module usable as a gripper, on the one hand for manipulation, on the other for locomotion) as that of a complete climbing robot.