Presented By: Institute for Energy Solutions
IES Energy Seminar Series - Igniting Microrobotics: Combustion-Driven Actuation at Small Scales
Cameron Aubin - U-M Robotics
Abstract:
The field of microrobotics is experiencing a “Cambrian Explosion” before our very eyes. Applications for these diminutive devices span several disciplines, including healthcare, environmental monitoring, exploration, and industrial inspection. However, scaling laws fundamentally constrain the design of microrobotic systems, particularly in how they store energy, deliver power, and perform mechanical work. As robots shrink, conventional actuators struggle to generate meaningful forces. The limited energy density of microbatteries leaves many platforms tethered to external energy sources.
In this talk, I will present a new class of combustion-driven microactuators that leverage the high energy density of chemical fuels to produce rapid, high-power mechanical motion at millimeter scales. I will show how these actuators enable microrobots that jump far beyond their body length (2 orders of magnitude), perform aerial maneuvers, traverse challenging terrain, and drive mechanical transmissions that convert linear actuation into rotary motion. Together, these results point toward a new class of highly energetic, untethered microrobotic systems capable of operating where conventional actuation and power technologies fail.
Biography:
Cameron Aubin is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at the University of Michigan, where he leads the Zoetic Robotics Laboratory. He received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University (2014) and his M.S (2020) and Ph.D. (2023) in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. His interdisciplinary team develops energy-material systems that blur the line between power, structure, actuation, and control, enabling more enduring, adaptable, and autonomous machines. Dr. Aubin’s research interests include soft and biologically inspired robots, microrobots, chemical and combustion-powered systems, batteries, and advanced materials and manufacturing. His work has been published in several reputable journals, including Nature and Science, and has been featured in popular media outlets, including CNN, PBS, BBC, Wired, and Veritasium. Recent honors include a Best Paper Award in Benchmarking and Reproducibility and a Best Student Paper Finalist Award (as PI) at IEEE RoboSoft 2025.
The field of microrobotics is experiencing a “Cambrian Explosion” before our very eyes. Applications for these diminutive devices span several disciplines, including healthcare, environmental monitoring, exploration, and industrial inspection. However, scaling laws fundamentally constrain the design of microrobotic systems, particularly in how they store energy, deliver power, and perform mechanical work. As robots shrink, conventional actuators struggle to generate meaningful forces. The limited energy density of microbatteries leaves many platforms tethered to external energy sources.
In this talk, I will present a new class of combustion-driven microactuators that leverage the high energy density of chemical fuels to produce rapid, high-power mechanical motion at millimeter scales. I will show how these actuators enable microrobots that jump far beyond their body length (2 orders of magnitude), perform aerial maneuvers, traverse challenging terrain, and drive mechanical transmissions that convert linear actuation into rotary motion. Together, these results point toward a new class of highly energetic, untethered microrobotic systems capable of operating where conventional actuation and power technologies fail.
Biography:
Cameron Aubin is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at the University of Michigan, where he leads the Zoetic Robotics Laboratory. He received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University (2014) and his M.S (2020) and Ph.D. (2023) in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. His interdisciplinary team develops energy-material systems that blur the line between power, structure, actuation, and control, enabling more enduring, adaptable, and autonomous machines. Dr. Aubin’s research interests include soft and biologically inspired robots, microrobots, chemical and combustion-powered systems, batteries, and advanced materials and manufacturing. His work has been published in several reputable journals, including Nature and Science, and has been featured in popular media outlets, including CNN, PBS, BBC, Wired, and Veritasium. Recent honors include a Best Paper Award in Benchmarking and Reproducibility and a Best Student Paper Finalist Award (as PI) at IEEE RoboSoft 2025.
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