Smart materials for actuation in microrobots

Axel Kortschack; Sergej Fatikow

doi:10.1117/12.471982

14 November 2002 Smart materials for actuation in microrobotics

Axel Kortschack, Sergej Fatikow

Proceedings Volume 4935, Smart Structures, Devices, and Systems; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.471982
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Smart Materials, Nano-, and Micro- Smart Systems, 2002, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

This paper describes the implementation of smart materials in actuators which are employed by mobile microrobots. A versatile microrobot is able to perform complex handling and joining procedures of microobjects with high precision. Such a microrobot requires precise actuators made of specific smart materials. These materials enable the microrobots to fulfill movements in coarse- and fine-positioning mode. The actuator material, currently most frequently used for the coarse-positioning mode, is a piezoelectric ceramic. It is important for the coarse-positioning actuators to be able to carry the entire weight of the microrobots, to provide a velocity of several cm/s and a positioning accuracy in a range of a few μm. The actuators for a fine-positioning unit have to provide an accuracy in the range of a few nanometers. The workspace of a fine-positioning unit depends on a task and is in between a few μm³ and several cm³. For this use, piezoelectric ceramics are suitable as well. Furthermore, the employment of ferrofluids is promising.

Citation Download Citation

Axel Kortschack and Sergej Fatikow "Smart materials for actuation in microrobotics", Proc. SPIE 4935, Smart Structures, Devices, and Systems, (14 November 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.471982

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