A Multi-Chip System Optimized for Insect-Scale Flapping-Wing Robots

Publication information:

Xuan Zhang, Mario Lok, Tao Tong, Simon Chaput, Sae Lee, Brandon Reagen, Hyunkwang Lee, David Brooks, and Gu Wei. 2015. “A Multi-Chip System Optimized for Insect-Scale Flapping-Wing Robots”. In IEEE Symposium on VLSI Circuits (VLSIC)

Abstract

We demonstrate a battery-powered multi-chip system optimized for insect-scale flapping wing robots that meets the tight weight limit and real-time performance demands of autonomous flight. Measured results show open-loop wing flapping driven by a power electronics unit and energy efficiency improvements via hardware acceleration.