Smallest autonomous mini-robot
25 April 2001
News
What may be the world's smallest robot - it 'turns on a dime and parks on a nickel' - is being developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories. At 4 cm3 and weighing less than 28 g, it is possibly the smallest autonomous untethered robot ever created, according to developers Ed Heller and Doug Adkins.
Powered by three watch batteries, it rides on track wheels and consists of an 8K ROM processor, temperature sensor and two motors that drive the wheels.
"This could be the robot of the future," says Ed Heller, "They will be able to work together in swarms, like insects. The miniature robots will be able to go into locations too small for their larger relatives."
The mini-robot has already manoeuvered its way through a field of dimes and nickels and travels at about half a metre a minute. The robots' small size is as a result of new electronics packaging techniques. Commercially available unpackaged parts were assembled onto a simple multichip module on a glass substrate.
"Previous small robots consisted of packaged electronic parts that were more bulky and took up valuable space. By eliminating the packaging and using electronic components in die form, we reduced the size of the robots electronics considerably," Heller says.
Adkins, who developed the mechanical design for the new mini-robot, says a new rapid prototyping technique was used to form the device's body. Called stereolithography, it lays down very thin polymer deposits that are cured by a laser. The material 'grows' with each layer, and can be formed in complex shapes, he said.
Over the next few years Heller and Adkins expect to add either infrared or radio wireless two-way communication capability to the robots, as well as miniature video cameras, microphones, and chemical micro-sensors.
www.sandia.gov
Further reading:
Hitachi reinvents asset management solution
News
Hitachi Energy, in collaboration with Microsoft, is accelerating the digital transformation of essential infrastructure - from electricity networks and transportation corridors to heavy industrial operations - by reinventing how critical assets are managed and maintained.
Read more...
Mycronic releases mixed Q4 results
News
Mycronic reported mixed Q4 results for the year ended January to December 2025, while delivering record full year order intake and net sales.
Read more...
AGOA: Businesses should diversify or face significant exposure
News
Cross-border payments platform Verto has called on South African and African businesses to accelerate their transition toward a “post-AGOA” trade strategy following President Donald Trump’s signing of a one-year extension to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Read more...
European components distribution growing
News
European electronic components distribution returned to growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to newly released figures from DMASS Europe.
Read more...
Silicon Labs reports strong growth
News
Silicon Labs has reported robust financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, with significant YoY revenue gains and shifting market dynamics.
Read more...
Siemens acquires Canopus AI
ASIC Design Services
News
The acquisition extends Siemens’ comprehensive EDA software portfolio with computational metrology and inspection to help chipmakers solve critical technical challenges in semiconductor manufacturing.
Read more...
Micron breaks ground on new wafer fabs
News
Micron Technology has advanced two major semiconductor manufacturing initiatives that together reflect the company’s strategic response to sustained global demand for memory solutions.
Read more...
Texas Instruments announces planned acquisition of Silicon Labs
News
Texas Instruments Incorporated and Silicon Laboratories recently announced a definitive agreement under which Texas Instruments will acquire Silicon Labs, combining two leaders in semiconductor technology.
Read more...
AI-fueled supercycle doubles memory market revenue
News
The ongoing surge in artificial intelligence is set to propel both the memory and wafer foundry sectors to unprecedented revenue levels by 2026, according to TrendForce.
Read more...
Research agreement for EUV tech
News
Gelest, Inc., a Mitsubishi Chemical Group company, recently announced a research agreement with IBM to test Gelest precursor materials for dry resist EUV lithography.
Read more...
printer friendly version