TI

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C ECT S
IN S
A PRESENTATION ON ROBOTIC
COMPILED AND
INSECTS PRESENTED BY:
SANJEEV SAIKIA
IDEA DEVELOPERS…..

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two Vanderbilt University

mechanical engineering professors are
developing a tiny insect-like robot, about a third
the size of a credit card, which will have
applications for military and intelligence-
gathering missions.
CONTD…..

Professors Ephrahim Garcia and Michael

Goldfarb were recently granted a three-year
contract to produce robotic insect crawlers. The
grant was awarded by the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Garcia and
Goldfarb are also exploring the development of
small flying robotic insects (microflyers) for
military purposes.
DIFFERENT INSECTS OR CRAWLERS..
THE STRUCTURE….
HOW WILL INSECTS WORK???
The crawlers would be equipped with microelctromechanical systems
(MEMS) for sensing their surroundings. Garcia and Goldfarb plan to utilize
"elastic-dynamic locomotion" to power the insects, using piezoelectric
actuators-thin ceramic-coated metal plates that bend when electricity is
supplied to them and then snap back to original form when the power is off.
The power would come from a small battery similar to those used in watches.

The crawler would have a piezoelectric actuator that would make the body's
two lengthwise segments oscillate back and forth, Garcia said. One-piece legs
attached to the body would carry the insect forward. A space in the center of
the body would contain the battery and the payload, which might be a micro
camera or sensors that detect sound or heat.
ADVANTAGES….

The robotic insects will be so small and

lightweight (about an ounce) that an individual
combat soldier could easily carry large numbers
of them in addition to his basic equipment. They
will also be cheap and disposable.