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Butterfly-Inspired Soft Flapping-Wing Robot Driven by Electro-Hydraulic Coupling

  • Ying He
  • , Yuxi Li
  • , Ziyu Zhang
  • , Chunjiao Wang
  • , Yuwen Zhang
  • , Kai Tao
  • Northwestern Polytechnical University Xian

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

This work introduces a butterfly-inspired soft flapping-wing robot utilizing an electro-hydraulic coupled actuation strategy. Mimicking the indirect drive mechanism of butterfly thoraxes, the system employs a dielectric fluid-filled pouch with graphite electrodes to generate flapping motion via electrostatic squeezing and a rigid reinforcement layer. Characterization on a load cell setup reveals the relationship between flapping amplitude and actuation voltage. The prototype achieves a peak lift-to-weight ratio of 67.6% prior to dielectric breakdown. Future work focusing on airfoil optimization and structural topology aims to enable autonomous flight capabilities for this soft robotic platform.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2026 IEEE 21st International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, NEMS 2026
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages888-891
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9798319519351
DOIs
StatePublished - 2026
Event21st IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, NEMS 2026 - Chengdu, China
Duration: 17 Apr 202621 Apr 2026

Publication series

Name2026 IEEE 21st International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, NEMS 2026

Conference

Conference21st IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems, NEMS 2026
Country/TerritoryChina
CityChengdu
Period17/04/2621/04/26

Keywords

  • Butterfly-inspired
  • Electro-hydraulic Actuators
  • Micro Air Vehicles
  • Soft Robots

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