Researchers at Yokohama National University have developed a compact, untethered robot capable of precise manipulation in extreme environments. The “Holonomic Beetle 3” (HB-3), inspired by the anatomy and movement of the rhinoceros beetle, integrates piezoelectric actuators with autonomous control to perform micro-scale tasks in confined or hazardous spaces. The design, detailed in Advanced Intelligent Systems on January 26, addresses the demand for precision manipulation in laboratory automation, medical procedures, and scientific research, particularly in vacuum, clean, and biohazard safety chambers.
HB-3 weighs 515 grams and measures 10 cubic centimeters. It features a single-board computer that eliminates the need for power-supply cables, along with an internal camera and machine-learning algorithms for real-time movement adjustments. During testing, the robot demonstrated an average positioning accuracy of 0.08 mm along the x-axis and 0.16 mm along the y-axis, successfully completing 87 percent of assigned tasks. Equipped with interchangeable tools, including tweezers, injectors, and measurement probes, the HB-3 can adapt to applications ranging from chip assembly to nanomaterial manipulation.
Lead researcher Ohmi Fuchiwaki, an associate professor at Yokohama National University, highlighted the robot’s ability to operate autonomously in confined and hazardous environments while maintaining high precision. The research team aims to enhance the robot’s processing speed and object detection capabilities, possibly by incorporating an external high-performance computer. Future improvements may also include additional cameras to refine positioning accuracy along the z-axis.
