Chinese team unveils world's lightest terrestrial-aerial microrobot

A team of Chinese researchers has created the world’s smallest and lightest untethered terrestrial-aerial microrobot, capable of transforming into various shapes to perform tasks in hazardous and complex environments.

This breakthrough innovation could potentially replace humans in dangerous roles, according to Chinese media.

Weighing just 25 grams and measuring 9 centimeters in length, the microrobot can operate on both land and in the air, reaching speeds of up to 1.6 meters per second on the ground. The robot's versatility is made possible by a newly developed thin-film actuator, which enables it to continuously morph and "lock" into specific configurations—much like a Transformer. This flexibility significantly enhances its ability to adapt to diverse environments.

The actuator, regarded as the "heart" of the microrobot, offers controllable shape-morphing capabilities, allowing it to perform a wide range of tasks. Combining this with a Lego-inspired design, the researchers have achieved a milestone in robotics by creating the smallest and lightest untethered terrestrial-aerial microrobot to date.

The microrobot is comprised of several components, including actuators, rotors, motors, control modules, and a lithium battery. According to Zhang Yihui, professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Aerospace Engineering, the actuator enables the robot's rotors to transform into wheels when it touches the ground, further enhancing its mobility.

The research team emphasized that equipping robots with the ability to walk, run, jump, fly, and switch between shapes is critical for broadening their applications. This is particularly important as current small-scale actuators struggle with continuous shape morphing and locking, which has hindered the miniaturization and untethered control of multimodal robots.

Thanks to innovations in material-structure design, the team has developed a miniature actuator just a few millimeters in size, acting as a "morphable exoskeleton" that integrates functional components like sensors and motors.

Zhang noted that creating a compact, lightweight, wirelessly controlled robot capable of complex shape morphing is extremely challenging. However, the new actuator excels in both shape morphing and locking capabilities, offering a breakthrough for future applications.

This untethered terrestrial-aerial microrobot could be used for equipment fault diagnosis, maintenance, and the exploration of geological and cultural relics, particularly in hazardous environments. The miniature actuator also shows promise for use in bioelectronic devices, such as implantable medical devices and haptic feedback interfaces for VR and AR applications. Additionally, its ability to control deformation could lead to the development of vascular stents to improve blood flow.

This research paves the way for further advancements in miniature robots and their potential to revolutionize fields ranging from medicine to exploration.

By Naila Huseynova