The Micro Flying Robot (µFR) is the world’s smallest and lightest

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

helicopter prototype, which was developed by

Epson Seiko Epson Corporation, or simply known as Epson, is a Japanese multinational electronics company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer printers and information- and imaging-related equipment. Headquartered in Suwa, Nagano, ...

and demonstrated at the

International Robot Exhibition The International Robot Exhibition (IREX) is the largest robot trade fair in the world. It is an event that has been staged once every two years in Tokyo, Japan since 1973 and is organized by the Japan Robot Association (JARA) and the company Nikkan ...

in Tokyo in November 2003. The purpose of its development was to demonstrate its micro-

mechatronics Mechatronics engineering also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, ...

technology and to explore the possible use of

micro robot Microbotics (or microrobotics) is the field of miniature robotics, in particular mobile robots with characteristic dimensions less than 1 mm. The term can also be used for robots capable of handling micrometer size components. History Microb ...

s and the development of component technology applications.

Features and capabilities

The µFR is levitated by

contra-rotating Contra-rotating, also referred to as coaxial contra-rotating, is a technique whereby parts of a mechanism rotate in opposite directions about a common axis, usually to minimise the effect of torque. Examples include some aircraft propellers, res ...

propellers powered by four 7x2x1-mm

ultrasonic motor An ultrasonic motor is a type of piezoelectric motor powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placed against another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation (rotation or linear translation). Ultraso ...

s (originally developed for wristwatches) and is balanced in mid-air by means of a stabilizing mechanism that uses a

linear actuator A linear actuator is an actuator that creates motion in a straight line, in contrast to the circular motion of a conventional electric motor. Linear actuators are used in machine tools and industrial machinery, in computer Peripheral, periphera ...

. Though the µFR is radio-controlled, it relies on power from an external battery via a power cable and thus its flying range is limited. The µFR includes two microprocessors, a

bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

module, a gyro-sensor, an

accelerometer An accelerometer is a tool that measures proper acceleration. Proper acceleration is the acceleration (the rate of change of velocity) of a body in its own instantaneous rest frame; this is different from coordinate acceleration, which is accele ...

and an image sensor.

Development of µFR-II

The µFR-II is the enhanced version of the µFR. It was developed in 2004 for full wireless operation paired with independent flight capability. The main challenge was the need to combine lighter weight with greater dynamic lift. Epson made the robot lighter by developing a new gyro-sensor that is one-fifth the weight of its predecessor. Dynamic lift was boosted 30% by the introduction of more powerful ultra-thin ultrasonic motors and newly designed, optimally shaped main rotors. The µFR-II includes two 32-bit

RISC In computer engineering, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) is a computer designed to simplify the individual instructions given to the computer to accomplish tasks. Compared to the instructions given to a complex instruction set comput ...

microcontrollers, an on-board

lithium polymer A lithium polymer battery, or more correctly lithium-ion polymer battery (abbreviated as LiPo, LIP, Li-poly, lithium-poly and others), is a rechargeable battery of lithium-ion technology using a polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyt ...

battery, as well as an image sensor that can capture and transmit images via Bluetooth wireless connection. At the moment it has a flight time of just 3 minutes.

Specifications

Possible applications

*Security and surveillance *Disaster rescue *Space exploration

References

External links

µFR
Epson News Release in November 2003 (archived)

Epson News Release in August 2004 (archived)
Micro Flying Robotics in Space Missions

BBC News article on the µFR-II
{{Seiko Miniature helicopters Unmanned aerial vehicles of Japan Robotics at Epson 2003 robots Aerobots