Moobot: A Miniature Origami Omnidirectional Jumping Robot With High Trajectory Accuracy

Trajectory control is important for jumping robots because it helps them to overcome different obstacles; however, integrating actuators and sensors exhibiting small scale and high accuracy remains challenging. No insect-scale jumping robots have yet demonstrated accurate trajectory following. Here, we propose a miniature origami omnidirectional jumping robot (Moobot) capable of high-accuracy feedback control of its jumping trajectory. The robot is based on a four-bar origami structure and shape memory alloys. Two strain gauges and an inertial measurement unit were used to control the jumping force and takeoff angle, respectively, and a reliable jumping mechanism and novel supporting leg were designed to improve jumping stability and trajectory accuracy. Unlike typical externally powered miniature robots, we constructed a 5 cm, 6 g untethered prototype. The error and the standard deviation of the jumping distances were both less than 1.5 cm; this represents a significant improvement relative to all previous insect-scale jumping robots. Furthermore, we integrated the yaw control and conducted omnidirectional jumping experiments, showing that Moobot was capable of accurately traversing different platforms from all directions.

Automated summary

This article introduces a miniature omnidirectional jumping robot called Moobot, which has the capability of high-accuracy trajectory control. The robot is based on a four-bar origami structure and shape memory alloys, and it utilizes strain gauges and an inertial measurement unit to control jumping force and takeoff angle. The robot also features a reliable jumping mechanism and a novel supporting leg design to improve jumping stability and trajectory accuracy. The untethered prototype of the robot has a jumping distance error and standard deviation both less than 1.5 cm, representing a significant improvement compared to previous insect-scale jumping robots. Additionally, the robot is capable of omnidirectional jumping experiments.