抄録
This paper presents the fabrication of prototype of a new earthworm type microrobot. The microrobot is made by three flexible metal-bellows which is 6.8 mm in diameter and 20 mm long. The material for the bellows is nickel. The microrobot is connected with three thin tubes which are 1 mm in inner diameter, 1000 mm long and feed pneumatic and vacuum pressure to the microrobot. The pneumatic pressure of 0.03 Mpa and the vacuum pressure of -0.085 Mpa are used to drive the microrobot. The microrobot is equipped with four friction-rings which are located at the joint of the metal-bellows. The rings are 9 mm in outer diameter and 0.3 mm thin made of vinyl chloride. The maximum speed of 18 mm/s was obtained in the small intestine of a sheep held in an acrylic pipe. This cycle time was 0.09 s.
