High‐Speed, Maneuverable, and Terrain‐Adaptive Micro‐Robot with Tree Frog‐Inspired Bionic Feet

Micro-robots hold promise for complex tasks such as fault diagnosis and emergency response, where conventional detection methods are limited by size and maneuverability constraints. However, their adaptability in complex environments remains insufficient owing to reduced propulsion efficiency. This study proposes a 7.5 mm micro-robot actuated by an electromagnetic linear motor and integrated with tree frog-inspired bionic feet (MRBF) to enhance traction and locomotion performance. The bionic feet are fabricated via angled photolithography to realize the microstructured design. The integration of bionic feet enables the MRBF to reach a maximum velocity of 39 body lengths per second (BL s<sup>-1</sup>) on dry surfaces and 28.5 BL s<sup>-1</sup> on wet surfaces, representing improvements of 75% and 40%, respectively, compared to the non-bionic version. The MRBF can also climb inclines of up to 21.8°, nearly doubling its original climbing limit of 11°, demonstrating a considerably enhanced slope-climbing capability. A dual-MRBF system is specifically designed to achieve rapid and controllable turning, attaining angular velocities of ≈311° s<sup>-1</sup>. When equipped with a micro-camera, MRBFs are successfully deployed for in situ blade inspection within the confined intake duct of a micro-aero-engine. This strategy provides a scalable framework for adaptive, high-performance systems in aerospace inspection, soft robotics, and autonomous sensing.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2025-11-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202514807
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Soft Robotics and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.67

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

High‐Speed, Maneuverable, and Terrain‐Adaptive Micro‐Robot with Tree Frog‐Inspired Bionic Feet

Danyang Liu, Kaiwen Zhang, Tiantong Xu, Kaibo Lei et al.
1 citations
Advanced Science
Soft Robotics and Applications
0.67
article

High‐Speed, Maneuverable, and Terrain‐Adaptive Micro‐Robot with Tree Frog‐Inspired Bionic Feet

Danyang Liu, Kaiwen Zhang, Tiantong Xu, Kaibo Lei, Yanxin Zhai, Huawei Chen, Weizhi Zhao, Wanyu Zhang, Shijia Li, Liwen Zhang, Weidong Fang
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Micro-robots hold promise for complex tasks such as fault diagnosis and emergency response, where conventional detection methods are limited by size and maneuverability constraints. However, their adaptability in complex environments remains insufficient owing to reduced propulsion efficiency. This study proposes a 7.5 mm micro-robot actuated by an electromagnetic linear motor and integrated with tree frog-inspired bionic feet (MRBF) to enhance traction and locomotion performance. The bionic feet are fabricated via angled photolithography to realize the microstructured design. The integration of bionic feet enables the MRBF to reach a maximum velocity of 39 body lengths per second (BL s<sup>-1</sup>) on dry surfaces and 28.5 BL s<sup>-1</sup> on wet surfaces, representing improvements of 75% and 40%, respectively, compared to the non-bionic version. The MRBF can also climb inclines of up to 21.8°, nearly doubling its original climbing limit of 11°, demonstrating a considerably enhanced slope-climbing capability. A dual-MRBF system is specifically designed to achieve rapid and controllable turning, attaining angular velocities of ≈311° s<sup>-1</sup>. When equipped with a micro-camera, MRBFs are successfully deployed for in situ blade inspection within the confined intake duct of a micro-aero-engine. This strategy provides a scalable framework for adaptive, high-performance systems in aerospace inspection, soft robotics, and autonomous sensing.

Advanced ScienceVol. 13(7)
Chengdu University of Technology (CN), Beihang University (CN)
China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Soft Robotics and Applications
0.67
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.