A programmable actuator for combined motion and connection and its application to modular robot
This addresses the challenge of efficient and power-independent actuation in modular robotics, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing SEP magnet technology.
The paper tackled the problem of creating a millimeter-scale actuator for modular robots that can achieve both motion and connection, resulting in a prototype that enables smooth movement and connection without power during connection, with a maximum speed of 20mm/s.
This paper proposes a new type of actuator at millimeter scale, which is based on Simplified Electro-Permanent (SEP) magnets. The new actuator can achieve connection and smooth motion by controlling the polarity of SEP magnets. Analyses based on numerical simulation are used to design a prototype. A dead-time controllable H-bridge and its multiplex design are proposed for controlling the new actuator and simplifying the electronic circuit. Finally, the new actuator is implemented in the DILI modular reconfigurable robot system. The experimental results show that with this new actuator, the DILI module can move smoothly and connect to other modules without power supply during connection. The maximum speed of DILI module is 20mm/s.