Design, fabrication, and modeling of the split actuator microrobotic bee

Abstract

The split actuator microrobotic bee is the first flight-capable, insect-scale flapping-wing micro air vehicle that uses “split-cycle” constant-period frequency modulation to control body forces and torques. Building this vehicle is an intricate challenge, but by leveraging a maturing fabrication technology for microscale devices, we have developed a solution to tackle the design and fabrication difficulties. We show that the design is able to independently modulate the motions of both wings and produce roll, pitch, and yaw torques, as well as a peak lift force of 1.3 mN, in a 70mg package.