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This et al., Scientific robotics 2020
By Charlotte Hartley
Robots tend to be powered by batteries and outlets. But the RoBeetle is a little different. This insect-sized microbot (defined as weighing less than 1 gram) runs on methanol, a type of alcohol commonly found in solvents and antifreeze.
Liquid fuels like methanol contain more energy per unit volume than batteries, especially on a small scale. This means that methanol-powered microbots do not require an additional external power source, such as wires or electromagnetic fields. They could therefore theoretically move with more autonomy than their electric counterparts while maintaining their tiny size.
In a new study, researchers have engineered tiny, artificial muscles that can contract and relax, just like the real thing. The system uses nickel-titanium alloy wires coated with platinum powder, which accelerates the combustion of the methanol vapor. This produces heat, which causes the threads of the robot’s legs to shorten and, after cooling, lengthen, causing the RoBeetle to move.
The RoBeetle weighs just 88 milligrams and can carry items up to 2.6 times its own weight, the team reports today in Scientific robotics. It can carry an additional 95 milligrams of fuel, which could power the robot for up to 2 hours. It’s also capable of climbing slopes and navigating surfaces of all kinds of different textures, including glass, a foam mattress, and a concrete sidewalk.
Scientists now need to figure out how to refuel the robot so that it stays continuously powered for longer periods of time. If they can program the RoBeetle to communicate with its human operator, methanol-powered microbots could one day act as artificial pollinators or assist complex surgeries.
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