A laser-microfabricated electrohydrodynamic thruster for centimeter-scale aerial robots.

ABSTRACT: To date, insect scale robots capable of controlled flight have used flapping-wings for generating lift, but this requires a complex and failure-prone mechanism. A simpler alternative is electrohydrodynamic (EHD) thrust, which requires no moving mechanical parts. In EHD, corona discharge generates a flow of ions in an electric field between two electrodes; the high-velocity ions transfer their kinetic energy to neutral air molecules through collisions, accelerating the gas and creating thrust. We introduce a fabrication process for EHD thruster based on 355 nm laser micromachining, which potentially allows for greater materials selection, such as fiber-based composites, than is possible with semiconductor-based lithographic processing. Our four-thruster device measures 1.8 × 2.5 cm and is c

SUBMITTER: Hari Prasad HK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7190112 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature