Shaoze Yan et al 2006 Smart Mater. Struct. 15 N7 doi:10.1088/0964-1726/15/1/N02
Shaoze Yan, Fuxing Zhang, Zhen Qin and Shizhu Wen
Show affiliationsIn this paper, a novel miniature-step mobile robot with three degrees of freedom (DOFs) is developed based on the inchworm principle. This device, driven by a piezo stack actuator, utilizes a rhombic flexure hinge mechanism and four electromagnetic legs to achieve large stroke translation and rotation with high resolution on a platform. The design process of the rhombic flexible frame and the electromagnetic legs is described. The electric circuits for generating appropriate voltage signals are designed to control the legs to clamp to and release from the platform. In order to investigate the motion characteristics of the device, a series of experiments was carried out. The experimental results confirm that the device is capable of performing a 3-DOFs motion with a high resolution on a platform. Furthermore, the platform loading capacity allows some additional devices like a gripper or any other device for a particular application to be mounted on board. This enables the device's potential in a wide variety of applications.
85.50.-n Dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric devices
Issue 1 (February 2006)
Received 29 March 2005, in final form 26 September 2005
Published 22 December 2005
Shaoze Yan et al 2006 Smart Mater. Struct. 15 N7
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