Controlled flight of high-thrust ultralight ion-propelled microrobot with integrated sensing

Abstract

Ion wind technology holds potential for the miniaturization of flying microrobots, generating thrust without mechanical moving parts, enabling simplified and light designs free from high-frequency actuators. Nevertheless, two fundamental challenges have limited its practical implementation: insufficient payload capacity and inadequate controllability, particularly in multi-degrees-of-freedom flight. Here, we demonstrated an inertial measurement unit-based closed-loop controlled flight of a light (36.7 mg) ion-propelled microrobot, achieving a thrust-to-weight ratio of 5:1 and 1-h long-endurance tethered hovering without mechanical actuators. Experimental validation indicates that the control strategy enhances stability, with a decrease of 83.11% and 89.21% in the root mean square error of pitch and roll angle, respectively. Leveraging origami-inspired design and cost-effective metal-polymer composites, our manufacturing approach enables the rapid assembly of complex microrobots at a disposable cost, overcoming a key barrier to practical swarm deployment. The microrobot’s high load capability allows it to carry a high-fidelity image sensor and a fiber Bragg grating sensor while maintaining sufficient maneuverability to complete predefined tasks such as environmental surveillance and material identification. This work introduces an approach to autonomous microrobotic swarm flight, suggesting potential applications in confined-space surveillance, disaster rescue, and hazardous environment exploration. The authors report a 36.7 mg ion-propelled microrobot with integrated sensing, IMU-based closed-loop flight control, and high thrust-to-weight ratio. This mechanical-free design demonstrates controlled flight and stable hovering.