Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Breakthroughs mark record in size reduction
PULLMAN –– Washington State University (WSU) has achieved a notable milestone by designing the smallest, lightest, and fastest fully functional micro-robots on record.
These miniature insect-like robots, with the mini-bug weighing 8 milligrams and the water strider robot at 55 milligrams, demonstrate a speed of approximately 6 millimeters per second.
Potential applications encompass artificial pollination, search and rescue missions, environmental monitoring, and robotic-assisted surgery.
The ground-breaking aspect of these tiny robots lies in the development of minuscule actuators through an innovative fabrication technique, resulting in actuators smaller than a milligram, marking a record in size reduction.
WSU researchers are now focused on emulating another insect’s locomotion to create a water strider-type robot capable of maneuvering both above and below the water surface.
Concurrently, efforts are underway to explore alternative power supply options with the ultimate goal of achieving full autonomy for these remarkable micro-robots.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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