[O12-21]
우수논문발표상 응모자Low damping sub-micron adhesive for achieving ultra-fast mobility of soft robot
발표자안다혜 (한국과학기술원)
연구책임자임성갑 (카이스트)
Abstract
Small-scale piezoelectric robots face a critical speed barrier: despite achieving 76 body-lengths per second, their maximum velocity remains under 500 mm/s—nearly three times slower than cockroaches. This bottleneck originates from incompatible adhesive demands between efficient actuation (requiring stiff, thin bonds) and structural integrity (needing compliant, thick layers). We addressed this through vapor-deposited poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) films measuring less than one micron. At 55-fold reduced thickness versus standard adhesives, our coating paradoxically improved bonding by 40% while cutting energy dissipation eight-fold and surviving beyond 1.47 million actuation cycles. Robots employing this approach reached 1.125 m/s—the highest reported velocity for this platform—validating material-driven solutions over conventional structural optimization.