Rapid prototyping builds miniature robot

17 Jun 2002

Laser curing crucial to the creation of a tiny, 3D robot by Sandia scientists.

A laser has built what is claimed to be the world's smallest robot, at less than 0.25 cubic inches. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, US, used a rapid prototyping technique called stereolithography to deposit thin layers of polymer that were individually cured by laser. The minirobot's body grew layer by layer into a complex three-dimensional shape with cavities for batteries, motors, axles, switches and sensors.The robot runs on batteries and has tank-style tracks that allow it to reach speeds of 20 inches per minute. Sandia says that such a miniature machine could carry sensors into inaccessible or hazardous places to locate land mines or detect chemical or biological weapons.