An inchworm-based holonomic miniature robot

摘要

In this paper, a numerical study of a holonomic miniature robot using piezoelectric elements is described. The robot consists of three stacked-type piezoelectric elements connected in an equilateral triangle. Three electromagnets, which support the robot, are fixed at every vertex of the triangle. As two of the three electromagnets adhere to a magnetic floor, the third electromagnet, which is free, moves by the deformation of the piezostacks. The robot is a holonomic mobile robot, which is convenient since it makes path planning simple. The motion of the robot is analyzed and used to calculate the small displacements of the robot step by step.