NanoRobotics Laboratory

Water Strider
A miniature water strider robot

Goal: To develop a microrobot that takes advantage of the surface tension of water to stay and maneuver on water with power efficiency and agility.

Approach: To understand the physics of water striders to model their characteristics of floating on the surface of water. We are using micro-actuators and DC Motors to simulate water strider movements. We are also investigating different materials and leg shapes to improve the ability of the robot to float on water and maneuver.

Benefits: Water strider robots will be small and relatively efficient. Because it is on the surface of water and light, the robot will be highly agile and can reach inaccessible areas for many different applications.

Videos: (newest to oldest)
Video 1: Water Strider Robot with Footpads
Video 2: Water Strider Robot with Wire Legs
Video 3: Water strider robot moving across the surface
Media Appearances: Associated Press Article featured in: Forbes.com, Yahoo News, and Wired.
In Turkish - MSNBC, e-kolay, sabah.com, Milliyet.com.
Members: Onur Ozcan, Kenan Isik, Metin Sitti

Past Members: Yun Seong Song, Franklin Chung, Justine Rembisz
Papers:

O. Ozcan, H. Wang, J. D. Taylor, and M. Sitti, ''Surface Tension Driven Miniature Legged Robot Inspired by Water Strider Insects,'' Journal of Research of NIST, in press.
O. Ozcan, H. Wang, J. D. Taylor, and M. Sitti, ''Surface Tension Driven Water Strider Robot Using Circular Footpads,'' IEEE Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Anchorage, Alaska, 2010. link
Y. S. Song and M. Sitti, ''Surface Tension Driven Biologically Inspired Water Strider Robots: Theory and Experiments,'' IEEE Trans. on Robotics, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 578-589, June 2007.
Y. S. Song and M. Sitti, ''STRIDE: A Highly Maneuverable and Non-Tethered Water Strider Robot,'' Proc. of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Conference, pp. 980-984, Rome, Italy, 2007.
Y. S. Song, S. Suhr, and M. Sitti, ''Modeling of the Supporting Legs for Designing Biomimetic Water Strider Robots,'' Proc. of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Conference, pp. 2303-2310, Orlando, FL, May 2006. pdf
S. Suhr, Y. Song, S. Lee, and M. Sitti, ''Biologically Inspired Water Strider Robot,'' Robotics Science and Systems I, MIT, Boston, June 2005.
S. H. Suhr, Y. S. Song, S. J. Lee and M. Sitti, ''Biologically Inspired Miniature Water Strider Robot,'' Proceedings of the Robotics: Science and Systems I, Boston, U.S.A., 2005. pdf

[The prototype of the 3rd generation water strider robots. 'A' is the main chasis of the robot that carries the on board power source, electronics and the actuators. 'B' are the supporting footpad structure of the robot. 'C' are the actuation mechanism of the robots that consists of rowing legs, DC motors and four-bar mechanisms to generate elliptical motion. ]

[Moving Water strider robot prototype]

[Tetherless Water strider robot prototype]

[Conceptual CAD model of the peizoelectric actuator based water strider robot. A, B, C and D are the supporting legs; E and F are the actuating legs; G is the body with possible onboard electronics; H is the middle actuator; and I and J are the right/left actuators.]