Rolling of a cylinder induced by electro-adhesive forces

Electro-adhesive forces are widely used in robotics, for applications such as gripping, climbing and creating motion. We show, by theoretical analysis and computational modeling, that an electro-adhesive torque can be generated by breaking the symmetry between the electric field and the geometry of the two surfaces. The existence of the torque is demonstrated by rolling a cylinder along a flat surface using a novel optical beam-induced electrode actuation to maintain the electric field asymmetry as well as pacing the rolling rate. Simulations indicate that the net torque varies with the ratio of the cylinder radius to the separation distance, in contrast to the normal component of the net electro-adhesive force which varies with the same ratio squared. It is expected that refined versions of the design will have an impact on robot design and actuator systems.