First takeoff of a flying microrobot with no moving parts

The preponderance of research into flying microrobots has focused on biomimetic flight mechanisms. In this work, we demonstrate an insect-scale robot capable of vertical takeoff using electrohydrodynamic thrust, a mechanism with no natural analogue. The 10mg, 1.8cm by 1.8cm “ionocraft” operates at about 2400 volts and has a thrust to weight ratio of approximately 10. Feasibility of using individually addressable thrusters in a quadcoptor-esque manner for attitude control is demonstrated qualitatively. A combination of design choices in the microfabricated silicon electrodes and a machine-fabricated external fixture allow for reproducible hand-assembly of the microrobot.