Design of a piezoelectric meso-scale mobile robot: a compliant amplification approach

In this paper, the development of a novel piezoelectric-based locomotion design for a meso-scale mobile robot is described. The design exploits a compliant mechanical structure that enables piezoelectric forces to be amplified and transmitted to "legs" that propel the robot through a lift and pull scheme. The lift and pull design contrasts with typical slip/stick approaches that assume the inertia effects of the robot will allow the robot to slip on a smooth surface. By eliminating the slipping assumption, the potential surfaces that the proposed robot can traverse is significantly extended. Discussions are provided regarding the proposed locomotion method, kinematic modeling and system constraints, mechanical optimization, and control of the meso-scale robot.

[1]  Bradley J. Nelson,et al.  A flexible experimental workcell for efficient and reliable wafer-level 3D micro-assembly , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[2]  Tatsuo Arai,et al.  Development of a micro-manipulation system having a two-fingered micro-hand , 1999, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[3]  Kiyoshi Ioi,et al.  A mobile micro-robot using centrifugal forces , 1999, 1999 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (Cat. No.99TH8399).

[4]  T. Hattori,et al.  Performance of a 7-mm microfabricated car , 1995 .

[5]  Ohmi Fuchiwaki,et al.  Flexible micro-processing by multiple microrobots in SEM , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[6]  Warren E. Dixon,et al.  Nonlinear Control of Wheeled Mobile Robots , 2001 .

[7]  Reymond Clavel,et al.  Stick and slip actuators and parallel architectures dedicated to microrobotics , 1996, Other Conferences.

[8]  Kiyoshi Ioi.  Study on turning motion of micro robot driven by cyclic force , 2001, 2001 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics. Proceedings (Cat. No.01TH8556).

[9]  Guillaume J. Laurent,et al.  Efficiency of swimming microrobots using ionic polymer metal composite actuators , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[10]  Sergej Fatikow,et al.  Smart Flexible Microrobots for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Applications , 2000 .

[11]  Sridhar Kota,et al.  Tailoring unconventional actuators using compliant transmissions: design methods and applications , 1999 .

[12]  Metin Sitti.  PZT actuated four-bar mechanism with two flexible links for micromechanical flying insect thorax , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[13]  Sylvain Martel,et al.  Fundamentals of piezoceramic actuation for micrometer and submicrometer motions for the NanoWalker robot , 2000, SPIE Optics East.

[14]  A. Buerkle,et al.  Flexible microrobotic system MINIMAN: design, actuation principle and control , 1999, 1999 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (Cat. No.99TH8399).

[15]  Robert J. Wood,et al.  Towards flapping wing control for a micromechanical flying insect , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[16]  Sylvain Martel,et al.  Three-legged wireless miniature robots for mass-scale operations at the sub-atomic scale , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[17]  Heinz Wörn,et al.  Remotely controllable mobile microrobots acting as nano positioners and intelligent tweezers in scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[18]  Ephrahim Garcia,et al.  Actuator development for a flapping microrobotic microaerial vehicle , 1998, Other Conferences.

[19]  Sylvain Martel,et al.  Preliminary evaluation and experimentation of the push-slip method for achieving micrometer and submicrometer step sizes with a miniature piezoactuated three-legged robot operating under high normal , 2000, SPIE Optics East.

[20]  Sylvain Martel,et al.  Initial results of a new type of locomotion for a wireless instrumented robot capable of subatomic movements , 1999, Proceedings of the First Joint BMES/EMBS Conference. 1999 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 21st Annual Conference and the 1999 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (Cat. N.