PZT Micro Actuator and Its Application in Robotic Manipulators

Smart materials and flexible components are the major elements of modern robotic manipulator structure. Smart materials whose characteristics can be made to change rapidly by some external influences are often used to augment the basic actuator movements or coupling forces from one part of a system to another. Flexible components provide higher operation speed, larger work space and better maneuverability. However, the structural flexibility of manipulators transfers unwanted vibration to the operating systems, and sometimes may even lead to instability of the whole system. Such unwanted vibration need to be reduced to unharmful state as soon as possible. The smart materials can be employed as an additional active damping to control redundant vibration. As smart material, piezoelectric actuators have been extensively applied in the field of intelligent manipulators because of the advantages of sub-nanometer resolution, large displacement generation, sub-millisecond response, no magnetic fields, extremely low steady state power consumption, no wear and tear and so on. The operating principle and useful function of PZT actuator are described briefly. And the applications of PZT components in robotic manipulators are introduced according to function of actuating, sensing and vibration controlling.