Long-jumping, 3D-printed insect-sized robots capable of deliberately jumping from point A to point B have been developed by researchers from the University of Illinois.

Taking inspiration from the leaping ability of locusts, the monolithic elastomeric robot designed by researchers from the University of Illinois' Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering features coiled artificial muscle actuators and projection additive printing.

Source: University of Illinois

To accomplish this, the team used a four-bar linkage design for leaping. Although the design of the robot is inspired by the four unconnected legs of the locust, which enable it to jump and walk, the robot relies on a single muscle serving a linkage system.

Further, the robot is composed of lightweight elastomer and features artificial muscle constructed from a heat-treated, coiled nylon fishing line. The researchers reportedly 3D printed 108 iterations of the robot — the smallest of which weighed 0.216 grams and was capable of leaping a horizontal distance equal to 60 times its body size.

The researchers are eyeing the long-jumping insect-scale robots for agricultural and maintenance applications that require non-destructive testing. Eventual iterations of these robots are expected to feature on-board sensors for collecting crop data, accessing locations that drones cannot.

For more on the long-jumping robots, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of the University of Illinois.