As technology continues to advance, the size of robots is shrinking, but the energy supply issue for micro-robots has become a bottleneck restricting their development. A collaborative team of mechanical engineers from Cornell University and researchers from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have innovatively adopted internal combustion engine technology to provide a new power solution for micro-robots. This research not only sparks thoughts about the future applications of micro-robots but also challenges the limitations of traditional robotic power sources.
Historically, micro-robots have typically been powered by batteries, but as the size of robots continues to decrease, battery power has become increasingly difficult to implement. At this point, researchers turned their attention to internal combustion engine technology, an ancient method that uses controlled explosions to drive moving parts. Similar to the principles found in automotive engines, internal combustion engines generate power by pushing pistons with the force produced by explosions.
The key to this research lies in how to apply internal combustion engine technology to micro-robots. The researchers first created a tiny combustion chamber and triggered explosions using a spark plug. The continuous force generated by the explosions pushes the top of the combustion chamber upward, similar to the pistons in automotive engines.
Impressively, tests showed that this tiny piston can generate a force of 9.5 Newtons. To achieve more power, the research team also designed a pump capable of moving the piston up and down approximately 100 times per second.
The innovation of the research team lies not only in the application of internal combustion engine technology but also in how to cleverly embed this technology into micro-robots. By creating a second internal combustion engine that works in conjunction with the igniter, the researchers achieved jumping and walking motions for the robot. When both engines ignite simultaneously, the robot jumps. When they ignite alternately, the robot walks. This design is flexible and clever, providing diverse power performance for micro-robots.
However, despite the significant breakthroughs this research represents, the research team acknowledges that there are still challenges to overcome. Some components of the micro-robot, such as the fuel system, fuel tank, and power source, still need further miniaturization and improvement. Additionally, the robot’s power source still relies on the power supply of the spark plug. Nevertheless, this innovative design opens up new possibilities for the manufacture of various micro-robots and stimulates discussions about the future applications of micro-robots.
Overall, the successful application of internal combustion engine technology in micro-robots injects new vitality into this field. Although there are still many technical challenges to overcome, this research provides a new direction for the development of micro-robots and increases our expectations for their applications in various fields in the future.
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