Electrostatic footpads enable agile insect-scale soft robots with trajectory control.

Jiaming Liang, Yichuan Wu, Justin K Yim, Huimin Chen, Zicong Miao, Hanxiao Liu, Ying Liu, Yixin Liu, Dongkai Wang, Wenying Qiu, Zhichun Shao, Min Zhang, Xiaohao Wang, Junwen Zhong, Liwei Lin

June 2021 Sci Robot

Synopsis of Social media discussions

The discussions emphasize the novel aspects of the research, such as the use of electrostatic footpads and the robot's agility, with comments like 'enabling high mobility' and 'potential for practical environmental tasks.' The tone is enthusiastic and highlights the transformative nature of the findings, indicating high interest and engagement, alongside recognition of its significant future impact.

A
Agreement
 Moderate agreement

Most discussions highlight the innovative use of electrostatic footpads and their potential to revolutionize soft robotics, reflecting strong agreement with the significance of the research.

I
Interest
 High level of interest

The mentions of high mobility, environmental monitoring, and practical applications demonstrate a high level of curiosity and engagement with the topic.

E
Engagement
 High engagement

Posts include technical references to the curved piezoelectric films, trajectory control, and potential real-world uses, indicating deep engagement.

I
Impact
 High level of impact

Several discussions suggest this research could impact the future of soft robotics and environmental monitoring, emphasizing its transformative potential.

Social Mentions

YouTube

2 Videos

Twitter

4 Posts

Blogs

5 Articles

News

27 Articles

Metrics

Video Views

249,549

Total Likes

702

Extended Reach

299,961

Social Features

38

Timeline: Posts about article

Top Social Media Posts

Posts referencing the article

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113,135 views

  • Keita Masui
    @keita_masui (Twitter)

    @verge @CornellNews @dglab_official @NMonl @beyohealth @NIKKEIxTECH @BostonDynamics @DARPA @MoriHiroki @MDPIOpenAccess @PurdueUnivNews @NipponZaidan @VerbSurgical @jjvincent @atmizu @yokokiriyama @FierceBiotech @FierceElectron ネコ型もとい昆虫型ロボットが生み出す未来 https://t.co/qIZEgHx2mS Electrostatic footpads enable agile insect-scale soft robots with trajectory control https://t.co/g8qBRFqW63
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    July 17, 2021

    1

  • Francis Villatoro
    @emulenews (Twitter)

    #ScienceRobotics Electrostatic footpads enable agile insect-scale soft robots with trajectory control https://t.co/l1VkB6OG9f a curved piezoelectric thin film driven at its structural resonant frequency is used as the main body of an insect-scale soft robot. https://t.co/Kpd4yihEz2
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    July 8, 2021

    4

  • Artificial Muscles -Smart Materials -Soft Robotics
    @Musclebotics (Twitter)

    Soft robots are finding their way to high-integration robotic systems, which allows amazing insect-scale soft robots like this one!!!! Electrostatic footpads enable agile insect-scale soft robots with trajectory control https://t.co/A7dBhPPImE
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    July 7, 2021

  • Dataemia
    @Dataemia (Twitter)

    (Electrostatic footpads enable agile insect-scale soft robots with trajectory control) https://t.co/BGjU3BGQ98
    view full post

    July 2, 2021

Abstract Synopsis

  • The study introduces an insect-scale soft robot that uses a curved piezoelectric film for fast straight-line movements and electrostatic footpads for quick rotations, achieving a high acceleration of 28 body lengths per second², which surpasses many real insects.
  • The robot demonstrated precise navigation through complex mazes, carrying sensors to map gas concentrations and locate leaks, showing its potential for practical tasks like environmental monitoring.
  • By simplifying the control design, the researchers scaled up the robot to a heavier, untethered version capable of following longer, more complex paths, proving that high mobility and agility can be maintained even with added payloads.]