A Centimeter-Scale Quadruped Piezoelectric Robot with High Integration and Strong Robustness

Centimeter-scale robots have unique advances such as small size, light weight, and flexible motions, which exhibit great application potential in many fields. Notably, high integration and robustness are 2 key factors determining the locomotion characteristics and practical applications. Here, we propose a novel centimeter-scale quadruped piezo robot. The robot’s locomotion is generated by multi-dimensional vibration trajectories at the feet, which are produced through a novel built-in actuation method. The robot achieves high locomotion speed (47.38 body length per second), high carrying capability (28.96 times self-weight), and high-resolution motion (minimum step size of 0.33 μm). Benefiting from the built-in integration method, the robot realizes the built-in integration of actuation, control, communication, and power supply, enabling untethered movement and strong robustness. It has a low startup voltage (10 V_0-p) and an endurance time of 32 min. Furthermore, after enduring 3 consecutive drops, 2 kicks, and being stepped on by an adult (over 3,500 times its own weight), the system remains functional and continues to move afterward. The robot utilizes modular expansion to achieve image sensing applications, including multi-object image capture and object detection. This work provides inspiration for the balance between high-integration design and robustness in centimeter-scale robots.