The scientists and engineers who introduced the world to
tiny robots demonstrating soccer skills are creating the next level of friendly
competition designed to advance microrobotics—the field devoted to the
construction and operations of useful robots whose dimensions are measured in
micrometers (millionths of a meter).
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
in collaboration with IEEE, is inviting university and collegiate student teams
currently engaged in microrobotic, microelectronic or MicroElectroMechanical
Systems (MEMS) research to
participate in the 2010 NIST Mobile Microrobotics Challenge. The
competition will be held as part of the IEEE International Conference on
Robotics and Automation in May 2010 in Anchorage,
Alaska.
A microrobot used at the RoboCup 2009 nanosoccer competition by the team from Switzerland's ETH Zurich is compared in size to the head of a fruit fly. The robot, which is operated under a microscope, is 300 micrometers in length or slightly larger than a dust mite.
Viewed under a microscope, the microbots are operated by
remote control and move in response to changing magnetic fields or electrical signals
transmitted across a microchip playing field. The bots are a few tens of
micrometers to a few hundred micrometers long, but their masses can be just a
few nanograms (billionths of a gram). They are manufactured from materials such
as aluminum, nickel, gold, silicon and chromium.
Like the NIST-coordinated "nanosoccer" events at
the 2007 and 2009 RoboCup competitions (see www.nist.gov/public_affairs/calmed/nanosoccer.html),
the Mobile Microrobotics Challenge will pit tiny robotic contestants against
each other in three tests: (1) a two-millimeter dash in which microrobots
sprint across a distance equal to the diameter of a pin head; (2) a
microassembly task where the competitors must insert pegs into designated
holes; and (3) a freestyle competition where each team chooses a task for its
robot that emphasizes one or more abilities from among system reliability,
level of autonomy, power management and task complexity.
These events are designed to "road test" agility,
maneuverability, response to computer control and the ability to move
objects—all skills that future industrial microbots will need for tasks such as
microsurgery within the human body or the manufacture of tiny components for
microscopic electronic devices.
NIST is organizing the 2010 Mobile Microrobotics Challenge
with the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. NIST's goal in coordinating
competitions between the world's smallest robots is to show the feasibility and
accessibility of technologies for fabricating MEMS, which are tiny mechanical
devices built onto semiconductor chips. The contests also drive innovation in
this new field of robotics by inspiring young scientists and engineers to
become involved.
To apply for the NIST Mobile Microrobotics Challenge, teams
must submit a proposal by Dec. 31, 2009, by electronic mail to microrobotics2010@nist.gov, or by
standard mail to: NIST Microrobotics Challenge 2010, c/o Craig McGray, NIST, 100 Bureau Dr., MS 8120, Gaithersburg, MD
20899-8120. Proposals
must include: a roster of individuals contributing to the team; contact
information for the team leader; a list of the facilities available for
fabrication, operation and characterization of microrobots; an overview of the
microrobot design; an overview of the intended capabilities of the microrobot;
and an overview of the fabrication process to be used.
High-resolution image
SOURCE: NIST