Jumping microrobots: resistor kicks at 600 and 1200 frames per second

These videos demonstrats a high-power micromechanical thruster fabricated in the silicon-PDMS MEMS process. Energy has been stored in a micro rubber band by pulling back on the thrusting leg and stretching the piece of rubber. This energy is then released and the thruster is shown kicking a 2mg 0603-sized surface-mount resistor in slow motion. Our goal is to use a similar feature as a leg on a jumping microrobot.

The video above was filmed at 600 frames per second.

This video was filmed at 1200 frames per second.

View the jumping robots project page.

Contact

Dr. Sarah Bergbreiter
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute for Systems Research
2170 Martin Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD-20742
Phone: 301-405-6506
Email: sarahb@umd.edu