Multidirectional Motion Strategy of Miniature Water Surface Robot Actuated by Single Exciter

Miniature water surface robots hold great potential for exploring narrow and complex aquatic environments. However, it is a significant challenge for the surface robots to realize the compatibility of miniaturization, integration, and multidirectional motion. Here, we design a novel single‐exciter single‐plate (SESP) module to achieve multidirectional motion on the water surface and further develop a wireless miniature water surface robot. The SESP module comprises a single eccentric rotating mass vibration motor as an exciter and a thin plate to produce surface waves and achieve actuation. It realizes steering motion through unidirectional rotation of the motor and linear motion through alternating rotational directions. The robot achieves a compact size of 43 × 30 × 33 mm 3 due to the absence of a transmission mechanism. It exhibits a linear speed of 95.39 mm/s and a steering speed of 4.56 rad/s. The robot is capable of navigating through narrow pipelines and obstacles in aquatic environments, demonstrating its application potential in confined and complex space. The proposed locomotion strategy based on the SESP module offers an innovative and efficient approach for miniature surface robots to achieve multidirectional motions.