Paper:
A Study of an In-Pipe Microrobot Having Bulging Friction Brakes
Manabu Ono*, Manabu Otsuki**, and Shigeo Kato**
*Tokyo Metropolitan College of Technology, 1-10-40 Higashi-Oi, Shinagawa, Tokyo 140-0011, Japan
**Nippon Institute of Technology, 4-1 Gakuendai, Miyashiro, Saitama 340-8501, Japan
We discuss fabrication of a new microrobot consisting of two outer stabilizers structured by a rubber bellows having four or six rubber bulging rubber friction brakes and a center mover that drives the microrobot by expanding and contracting. We studied friction generated by friction brakes modeled as a simple beam fixed at both ends. Friction generated by stabilizer is confirmed to be predictable. The fabricated microrobot moves in a pipe in which the friction factor is 0.34, confirmed by navigating a porcine intestine.
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