Microrobot actuated by a vibration energy field

Abstract A vibration energy field generated by a piezoelectric vibrator can supply a microrobot with power without using wires, by exciting resonant actuators mechanically. Furthermore, this energy field implicitly contains control signals that make it possible to activate actuators selectively. A microrobot measuring 1.5 mm×0.7 mm has been fabricated using silicon micromachining technology and a folding process to make three-dimensional structures. The microrobot is modelled as a damped three-degree-of-freedom system driven by displacement excitation. The microrobot's design is determined from simulation results based on this model.

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