Design of CLARI: A Miniature Modular Origami Passive Shape‐Morphing Robot

Abstract

Miniature robots provide unprecedented access to confined environments and show potential for applications such as search‐and‐rescue and high‐value asset inspection. The capability of body deformation further enhances the reachability of these small robots in cluttered terrains similar to those of insects and soft arthropods. Motivated by this concept, compliant legged articulated robotic insect (CLARI), an insect‐scale 2.59 g quadrupedal robot capable of body deformation, is presented. The robot, currently, with tethered electrical connections for power and control is manufactured using laminate fabrication and assembled using origami pop‐up techniques. To enable locomotion in multiple shape configurations, a novel body architecture comprising modular, actuated leg mechanisms, is designed. CLARI has eight independently actuated degrees of freedom driven by custom piezoelectric actuators, making it mechanically dextrous. Herein, open‐loop robot locomotion at multiple stride frequencies (1–10 Hz) is characterized using multiple gaits (trot, walk, etc.) in three different fixed body shapes (long, symmetric, wide) and the robot's capabilities are illustrated. Finally, preliminary results of CLARI locomoting with a compliant body in open terrain and through a laterally constrained gap, a novel capability for legged robots, is demonstrated. These results represent the first step toward achieving effective cluttered terrain navigation with adaptable compliant robots in real‐world environments.