Asymmetries-induced nonlinear dynamic behaviors enable versatile modulation strategy for insect-scale robotics

Developing versatile insect-scale robots that can handle various unstructured scenarios with a simple design remains a critical challenge. Here, we introduce a single electromagnetic actuator-driven insect-scale robot, developed by integrating geometric and mass asymmetries into a deformable hexagonal frame. This asymmetric configuration induces nonlinear dynamic behaviors in the robot, allowing it to perform a variety of complex actions (e.g., forward and backward locomotion, active flipping, and lateral movement) and respond to challenging scenarios (e.g., granular media and safe landing) through posture transitions. To facilitate the behavior modulation and design optimization of the proposed insect-scale robot, a nonlinear dynamic model is established to map the relationship between motion behaviors and input parameters. Last, an untethered prototype that can work in outdoor environments is constructed to further demonstrate the practical applications.