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Title: Magnetically Programmable Cuboids for 2D Locomotion and Collaborative Assembly
The modular assembly and actuation of 3D prin- ted milliscale cuboid robots using a globally applied magnetic field is presented. Cuboids are composed of a rectangular resin shell embedded with two spherical permanent magnets that can independently align with any applied magnetic field. Placing cuboids within short distances of each other allows for modular assembly and disassembly by changing magnetic field direction. Assembled cuboids are demonstrated to stably self-propel under sequential field inputs allowing for both rolling and pivot walking motion modes. Swarms of cuboids could be actuated within the working space and exhibit near identical behavior. Specialized ‘trap robots’ were developed to capture objects, transport them within the working space, and subsequently release the payload in a new location. Cuboids with male and female connectors were developed to exhibit the selective mating between cuboids. The results show that cuboids are a diverse and adaptable platform that has the potential to be scaled down to the sub-millimeter regime for use in medical or small-scale assembly applications.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1760642
PAR ID:
10257061
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)
Page Range / eLocation ID:
3326
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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