Although several types of locomotive microrobots have been developed, most of them have difficulty locomoting on uneven surfaces. Thus, we have been focused on microrobots that can locomote using step patterns. We are studying insect-type microrobot systems. The locomotion of the microrobot is generated by rotational movements of the shape memory alloy-type rotary actuator. In addition, we have...

In the field of micromechatronics, microrobotics and specially microfactories, active materials are used in most cases. They permit high resolution and distributed actuation. In this area, Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys (MSMA) are possible candidates. If a lot of studies deal with MSMA, only few applications use them until now. MSMA are attractive active materials because they have large strain (...

Actively controlled shape memory alloy actuators are useful for a variety of applications that require accurate shape control. For shape memory alloy wires, strain is modulated with temperature, usually by an applied voltage difference across the length. Numerical simulation using reinforcement learning has previously been used for determining the temperature strain relationship of a shape memo...

Shape memory alloy (SMA) thin films, especially those based on Ni-Ti, have received considerable attention since it was demonstrated that they can undergo a nearly perfect shape memory effect [1-7]. When SMA films are used as actuators in MEMS devices, biasing springs are generally needed to restore the initial state in order to achieve a twoway shape memory effect. As a result, use of SMA actu...

One of the research goals in robotics is the development of home-help robots. The development of a control approach for a novel lightweight and multifunctional shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator scalable in force and length for robots is presented in this paper. The SMA actuator is based on lightweight bundles of thin wires of prestrainend shape memory alloy that change their length when heated ...

Magnetically controlled shape memory alloy (MSMA) is a new functional material which is found in recent years. The material can produce large induced strain by magnetic field, and has fast dynamic response, high efficiency of electromagnetic-mechanical conversion and excellent controllability. High strains of 10-15% for MSMA materials with different structure are achieved [1, 2]. The complete f...

This paper presents a simple method to examine whether a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy can be used as an actuator by controlling the transformation temperature by magnetic field. Both Fe–Pd and NiAlCo alloys are studied. The analysis results show the recently discovered alloy of NiAlCo cannot be used. Although an Fe–Pd alloy can be used, in principle, for magnetic field actuation, the work e...