A Tactile Micro Gripper with Piezoelectric Actuator Based on Microsystem Technology

For handling and assembling of small components one sort of micro gripper was developed. It has planar structure and flexure hinges, uses piezoelectric actuation and is fabricated with standard microsystem technology. Micro grippers made of both silicon and glass have been fabricated. Due to its etching angle, gripper made of silicon has no ideal hinge form, which leads to no good mechanical feature, while at glass almost all designs can be fabricated. HF signal was imposed at piezoactutor. A combination of resonant vibration of gripper structure and utilizing self-sensing effect of piezoelectric materials enables micro gripper tactile.