Insect Scale Multifunctional Micro-Aerial-Robots Powered by Soft Artificial Muscles

Explore the cutting-edge developments in microrobotics with a focus on insect-scale robots powered by soft artificial muscles in this 54-minute lecture by Kevin Chen, D. Reid Weedon, Jr. '41 Career Development Assistant Professor from MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Delve into the world of collision-resilient microrobots that combine high bandwidth soft actuators with rigid appendages for effective environmental interactions. Discover the groundbreaking achievement of a heavier-than-air aerial robot capable of a 40-second hovering flight, in-flight collision recovery, and rapid somersault maneuvers. Compare the robot's maximum lift to that of the best rigid-powered sub-gram robots and understand how this hybrid soft-rigid design opens up new possibilities for agile and robust micro-aerial vehicles. Gain insights into the potential applications and future directions of this innovative class of microrobots that surpass the capabilities of their rigid-powered counterparts.